VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A 37-year-old man has been charged in connection to an animal cruelty case in Virginia Beach.
Police say Corey Alexander Ridley is the owner of a beagle that was found on May 14 in a crate dumped in a ditch on the side of the road in the 3600 block of Winston Avenue.
The dog is now available for adoption.
The dog was an older, tri-colored female beagle with a large tumor on her left side.
"It’s always hard for us, and for any of our officers, to see an animal in a condition where they're suffering or in pain," Meghan Conti, a Virginia Beach Animal Control Supervisor, said. "She most definitely was in pain.”
Through investigation and multiple tips received, investigators were able to identify Ridley as the dog's owner and the suspect they believed to be responsible for dumping the dog in the ditch.
Ridley was charged with one count of misdemeanor Animal Cruelty and one count of misdemeanor abandonment of an animal.
Since she was found, the dog has undergone surgery to remove the tumor. Animal control officials say she is much more healthier and happier now.
“She’s happy, she’s social. All she wants to do is be patted and go outside," Conti said.
The case remains under investigation by Virginia Beach Animal Control.
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Older dog with tumor found in a crate dumped in a Virginia Beach ditch
