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Did Marshall step into dog case?

Spotsylvania supervisor allegedly gets involved with animal-control case to help son's hunting friend

Date published: 7/23/2008

By DAN TELVOCK

On Friday last week, Spotsylvania County animal control officers delivered two gaunt hunting dogs with cracked and bleeding paws to Spotsylvania Animal Hospital.

Veterinarian Katherine Siefker said the beagle-mix dogs were about 20 pounds underweight. One of them had a number spray-painted in black on its side. The paws were infected, which she said means the injuries were more than a few days old.

To Siefker, this was a typical animal neglect case.

But what happened after the dogs arrived at the hospital was anything but normal, she said.

On Saturday, Supervisor Emmitt Marshall went to the animal hospital with the dogs' owner, Jake Payne, and two other people.

Siefker said Marshall wanted the dogs released to Payne. She said employees told her that Marshall announced: "Do you know who I am? I am Emmitt Marshall, and I am going to have the sheriff come here."

Siefker said employees were uncomfortable with Marshall's presence, so she called in animal control officers.

On Tuesday, Marshall said he was just trying to help his son's friend. Payne has not been charged with any crime. A custody hearing to determine ownership of the dogs is set for Friday morning in General District Court.

Seifker said she is talking about the incident because Marshall was getting involved with a case to help a friend, and he was pressuring people not to press charges.

"They aren't [Marshall's] dogs, and he really has nothing to do with it," Siefker said.

On Monday, Animal Control Director William Tydings was in meetings most of the day.

"I met with a lot of people [Monday] about this case," Tydings said. "I can't really discuss anything right now because we are in the preliminary stages of this case. I am not going to confirm anything right now."

Tydings' boss, County Administrator Randy Wheeler, also declined to comment. Wheeler works for the supervisors. In some localities, the animal control officer answers to the chief law-enforcement officer, typically an elected sheriff.

Also on Monday, Siefker said two Spotsylvania prosecutors came to the hospital to look at the dogs--something she said has never happened in her five years there. She usually speaks with prosecutors on the phone.


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Date published: 7/23/2008


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taxpayer is going to jail (posted by mikester , Aug. 4, 2008 3:26 pm)   
If that person doesnt get beat up first.

Mr taxpayer (posted by Catz , July 28, 2008 11:24 pm)   
you really are a goofball arent you? There is no leash law during hunting season (as if you could hunt with dogs on a leash) Jake Payne was running dogs during open fox season. Man, it must suck to be you because you seem so full of anger. Get a grip man....there are more important things to worry about.

taxpayer (posted by Catz , July 28, 2008 11:20 pm)   
go ahead ole boy...thats a FELONY in this state...I'd like to see a few more of you locked up. Been a few lately, but not nearly enough...and good luck taking a hammer to that tracking collar....just ask the one spotsy man who THOUGHT he could bust one up how far he got before the posse was on his behind and the law was there with the handcuffs!

Hunter Boys of Spotsy. (posted by taxpayer , July 28, 2008 2:05 pm)   
Be aware of me this year. If I see your truck with the kennels and no dogs....I'll be calling the Animal Control Warden on you every Saturday or any other day I see this. Let your dogs run across my woods and I'll do everything to stop them, remove their transmitters and take a hammer to them, then call Animal Control for stray dogs. I'm on a mission to outlaw hunting with dogs in the County I make my home.

Mr. Payne (posted by taxpayer , July 28, 2008 2:01 pm)   
Could have gotten 2 tickets for both dogs running at large. $150 transmitters or not. Running large is running large whether they escaped a hunting exercise or ran off because the dog was frightening of the fireworks. He too could have paid $161.00 please another $40 each to spring those poor puppies from the jail. God Bless Emmitt he was just trying to keep his buddy from paying any more to our poor county. And Lord knows we need it...those computers and printers at the court house were old as dirt.

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