A Stuarts Draft dog breeder was charged late Wednesday with 100 assorted misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and failure to provide adequate care, according to Augusta County Animal Control arrest warrants.
Kyle N. Brydge, 45, owner of Oak Leaf Kennel on China Clay Road, was ordered held without bond Thursday afternoon.
Of 102 total charges, he faces 70 counts of Class 1 misdemeanor cruelty to animals; 30 counts of Class 3 misdemeanor failure by a pet shop owner to provide adequate care; and one count each of failure to maintain proper business records and failure to properly license a dog older than 4 months.
Brydge last week relinquished more than 90 dogs to state and local authorities after a routine inspection by a state veterinarian, according to Augusta County General District Court records.
On Tuesday, a judge’s order barred Kyle and Kim Brydge from owning companion animals for two years. Brydge failed to provided adequate care, food, water and shelter for 99 dogs — mostly small breeds – the order states.
Exactly how many dogs were seized remains unclear: court records variously name 94, 97, or 99 seized dogs. Those animals since have been sent to animal shelters across Virginia, according to Augusta County authorities.
Brydge has declined to comment.
Oak Leaf Kennel was operated on Brydge’s 17-acre property, which has a special-use permit from Augusta County permitting 106 dogs to be kept there, according to county records.
Class 1 misdemeanor charges carry a maximum 12-month jail sentence. Other misdemeanors are punishable by fines.
Repeated efforts to reach Augusta County Animal Control officers were unsuccessful. State authorities declined to comment.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement