Authorities seize nearly 30 dogs in Halifax County animal cruelty investigation

HALIFAX COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — An animal cruelty investigation is underway in Halifax County after authorities uncovered evidence linked to dog fighting.

According to Halifax County Animal Control, this all stems from a tip they received about possible animal cruelty.

They got the tip on Wednesday and did a welfare check on the dogs. They said they found evidence that gave them probable cause to obtain a search warrant. Animal control returned to the property the next day and found things like training equipment and drugs sometimes used in dog fighting. They ended up seizing 16 dogs and 11 puppies.

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Lt. Jackie Emerman said they take any tip about possible animal cruelty very seriously.

“We can’t trust that things will work out, we can’t trust that we’ll address the problems and that things will be solved. We have to find the problems, solve the problems, and if the problems can’t be solved, we have to take matters into our own hands to address them properly,” Emerman said.

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Allison Cannon, chief warden for animal control, also said all the dogs were tied up outside, which is not safe because of the heat outside.

“Ultimately, at some point, these dogs are going to be in distress, and Virginia has a law that prohibits dogs from being leashed. Above a certain temperature, they’re not allowed to be leashed at all,” Cannon said.

No charges have been filed at this time and the investigation is ongoing. All dogs are being held by the Halifax County Animal Shelter during the investigation.