Virginia Animal Control Association’s Annual Conference

Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Derek Wagner (middle), Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mara Kane (left) and Supervisory Animal Control Officer David Barlow (right) presented at the 2024 Virginia Animal Control Association's annual conference in Virginia Beach on October 9, 2024. The theme of this year's conference is the intersection of domestic violence and animal cruelty. Wagner, Kane a Barlow spoke on the topic of "Conviction with No Body". They presented a case study of a successful prosecution of Fredrick Baine for abusing his dog, Broly. The case revolved around Baine's attempts to get his ex-girlfriend back by threatening, and eventually torturing his dog, Broly. Animal control officers and Chesapeake police officers conducted an extensive search but were never able to locate Broly. Baine was convicted of animal cruelty in 2023 and given a 5-year sentence with 4 years suspended.