PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – 23 fawns were killed when two dogs broke into an enclosure at Ringgold Wildlife Rescue, sparking controversy and devastating the facility’s owner.
The attack occurred Tuesday at the rescue facility in Ringgold, where owner Larry Oakes discovered the gruesome scene during his morning feeding routine.
“When I opened the door, every fawn in the enclosure was dead,” Oakes said.
Evidence at the scene showed the dogs had pushed through the fence and torn through a protective tarp to access the enclosure. Days after the incident, fur from the killed fawns still littered the pen.
According to Oakes, the dogs’ owner initially expressed remorse but later denied his pets were responsible for the attack. “I can’t believe he would say that,” Oakes said. “If it had been my dogs, I would’ve known right away. I mean, the dogs were in the enclosure, one with blood on its mouth.”
The incident has resulted in significant financial loss for the rescue. “We had probably $12,000 plus invested in the fawns,” Oakes said. “It was $12,000 and a lot of man-hours, and all the sudden it was taken from me. That’s the tough part.”
The attack has ignited debate on social media, with some defending the dogs’ owner and others calling for stricter leash laws in the county. Some online commenters have accused Oakes of staging the incident as a fundraising stunt.
“If we had leash laws in effect in the county, this wouldn’t have happened,” Oakes said.
Pittsylvania County Animal Control is investigating the incident but has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The wildlife rescue is now seeking donations for fence repairs and continued operations.