Update: Officials say they’ve completed a criminal investigation and they’ve found there was no criminal intent of animal cruelty on the part of the caretaker.
They say the caretaker took the dog outside in the dog run area for exercise on that Sunday afternoon and forgot to return the dog back into the building before securing for the day.
The Police Department’s internal investigation continues and will review the shelters’ policy and shelter procedures.
Stay with NewsChannel 3 for more updates.
A dog was found dead on Feb. 18th at around 11 a.m. at the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center. Police say a volunteer found the pit bull in an outdoor run area.
Two employees were notified. They tried to perform CPR, but their attempt was unsuccessful.
Investigators say the dog was left outside overnight after a caretaker took the dog outside on Sunday afternoon.
A necropsy was performed and the results showed the dog had severe heart and lung disease as well as the potential for diabetes mellitus. They say the heart and lung disease most likely contributed to his death.
Officials say it is ‘inconclusive’ as to how much hypothermia contributed to his death.
This case remains under investigation.
