Two people accused in animal cruelty case that killed a dog in Roanoke found not guilty

ROANOKE, Virginia. — The case has been dismissed against two Roanoke County residents who were charged after authorities said a dog died after being left in a parked car in Roanoke last summer.

In court on Monday, James Lipscomb and Ashleigh Hutton, who were charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, were found not guilty.

As we previously reported, the two were arrested after two dogs were left in a parked vehicle in the 100 block of Luck Avenue SW, with one of them dying in June 2023.

When officers arrived at the scene, they said they found the two dogs in a parked vehicle – one that was alert and one that appeared to be unresponsive.

We were told that officers immediately began opening the locked car doors to assist the dogs.

An officer was able to get into the vehicle when the reported owners of the dog and the vehicle arrived at the scene of the accident, the RPD said.

Authorities said additional officers were dispatched to her residence and seized two more of her dogs. We’re told RPD animal control officers then filed a request to take custody of all remaining animals.