Cats killed, dogs injured
Troy, VA (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Sep 30, 2005
County: Fluvanna

Disposition: Open

Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!

Fluvanna County authorities are investigating the gruesome deaths of five cats that may be related to other pet disappearances and injuries in the area.

A Little Creek Road resident's cats were killed in mid-October, the day before her neighbor's dog came home with a broken leg, the neighbor said.

The cats "weren't just killed," Karen Denton said. "They were violently killed."

The cats' owner could not be reached for comment.

Fluvanna County Sheriff Ryant Washington said the cats were being kept underneath the house's deck.

The day after the killings, Denton took her 8-month-old shepherd-lab mix into the backyard. "It ran into the woods," she said. "When it came back, its leg was broke."

The two compound fractures cost Denton $1,600 in veterinarian bills.

"He's about the friendliest dog you could ever meet," she said. "I'm sure he saw somebody in the woods and ran up to them, and they gave him a whack."

Another Troy resident reported that two dogs had escaped from a pen, Washington said. "I believe they're still missing," the sheriff said.

Washington said he did not know if the incidents are related.

"Certainly we have not ruled out anyone, and we do have some persons we would like to talk to," he said. "We don't want people going around doing that."

If suspects were arrested, they would likely be charged with felony animal cruelty, Washington said. "We don't have anything that really directs us to any ritual crime."

Washington urged Troy residents to be "concerned but not paranoid. Everyone reacts to things differently," he said.

References

• « VA State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Fluvanna County, VA

  Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.
  
  For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.