VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach man was charged with felony animal cruelty, after police said a concerned driver reported seeing a dog in distress in a truck bed Saturday.
Supervisor Meghan Conti, with Virginia Beach Animal Control, said the driver told dispatchers the truck stopped at the Kempsville Plaza Shopping Center on Princess Anne Road. Officers arrived at the shopping center, but by that point the dog, described as a small terrier mix, had already died, Conti said.
“There were some injuries to the dog that were explainable and some concern as to the care that the dog had been receiving in the minutes and hours prior to our arrival on scene,” Conti said.
Police charged 54-year-old Vernon Boyd Eaton Jr. with felony animal cruelty and took him to Virginia Beach Correctional Center. He was granted a $3,000 bond Monday, but was ordered by a judge to go to a recovery retreat center and complete substance abuse treatment. He is also not allowed any contact with animals, according to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
“We appreciate the citizen coming forward, calling the dispatcher, and they followed the truck to where it stopped so that we would know where the animal was. Showing that amount of concern for a pet within our city is greatly appreciated,” Conti said.
A family member outside Eaton’s house Monday, who did not want to be identified, said he was not home. He called Eaton a good person and said he has always provided for his family. “We’re as shocked to hear the story as anyone else and anxious to hear his side,” the man said.
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