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Owner appeals lower court ruling over confiscated dogs
A Warrenton man convicted in Fauquier County General District Court of failing to provide adequate care for dozens of dogs has filed another appeal.
Charles E. Settle Jr. initially filed an appeal in Fauquier County Circuit Court. However Judge Herman A. Whisenant Jr. upheld the conviction April 4.
"The evidence presented [demonstrates] these dogs were cruelly treated and that they were not cared for properly," Whisenant said in his ruling.
The judge also found Settle guilty of allowing his dogs to run at large and deemed two of them "dangerous."
In addition to prohibiting Settle from owning any companion animals, Whisenant ordered Settle to reimburse the Middleburg Humane Foundation for expenses incurred from the time the dogs were confiscated to the time of the circuit court ruling. The total amount at that time was about $45,000.
Settle did not testify in circuit court and has not commented on the matter other than to say the dogs were wrongly taken from him.
He has now turned to the Court of Appeals. The court was notified of his intent to appeal May 12.
Court records available online do not include a basis for the appeal or dates for any hearings in the case.
"At this time we have no idea when this will be resolved," said Hilleary Bogley, an humane investigator for Fauquier County.
The waiting game
Meanwhile, Bogley said costs incurred for the dogs' care continue to mount for the Middleburg Humane Foundation.
"We're in the $60,000 range," Bogley said this week.
See the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story...
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