Justice for Malnourished, Neglected Dog: Portsmouth Man Convicted of Cruelty

Dog Rescued by PETA Awaiting Adoption at Portsmouth Humane Society

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2013

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Portsmouth, Va. — Today, Wayne J. Taylor—the former legal owner of Jabber, a dog whom PETA rescued from a filthy backyard pen in late February and whose name has been changed from Blackie—was found guilty of cruelty to animals and sentenced to pay a $250 fine and spend one month in jail. Taylor is also forbidden from owning “pets of any kind” for two years. If he does not maintain good behavior for two years, his sentence will increase to a $500 fine and six months in jail.

During the trial, the PETA volunteers who first encountered Jabber testified that they were in Portsmouth to deliver straw for doghouses when Taylor told them that he “wanted to get rid of the dog” and showed them to a backyard pen that was covered with trash, filth, and waste and had no food, drinkable water, or dry shelter (photos available here). Jabber was given to PETA and taken to PETA’s Norfolk office, where he was discovered to be infested with fleas and covered with dander. A veterinarian determined that Jabber was 20 percent underweight and suffering from a severe hookworm infestation. During the trial, Judge Morton V. Whitlow found the conditions in which Taylor had kept Jabber “shocking” and told Taylor that this was “no condition to keep a dog in.”

“Thanks to the good work of the Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, this man will never again leave a neglected dog to suffer alone and ignored in a filthy pen,” says PETA Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA thanks our volunteers for getting Jabber to safety, and we encourage everyone always to speak up whenever criminal neglect is seen or suspected.”

Since late February, Jabber has gained 11 pounds. He is awaiting adoption at the Portsmouth Humane Society. Anyone interested in adopting him is encouraged to call 757-397-6004.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.