The Richmond animal-protection office concluded yesterday that "no willful intent was found" in its investigation of the death of the family pet of Robin Starr.
The finding apparently will end all investigations into the demise of Louie, a 16-year-old poodle mix who died of heatstroke after being accidentally confined in the Starr family's car when the outside temperature was about 90 degrees.
Starr is the chief executive officer of the Richmond chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is a longtime animal-rights activist. She was with her family last night and did not attend an annual fundraising event for the SPCA that drew a record crowd and record donations, a representative said.
Jody Jones, manager of the Richmond Animal Care and Control Division, could not be reached for comment last night after the release of a two-sentence statement, which indicated that the office's investigation of Louie's death consisted of interviews with Starr and her husband, described in the statement as "both parties in the incident."
Ed Starr has said he left the dog in the car and did not tell his wife.
Since the dog's death was disclosed this week, the city commonwealth's attorney's office has informally maintained that there was no apparent willful violation of state animal-cruelty laws.
Starr could not be reached last night for comment but her office released a statement saying that "the Richmond SPCA and the Starr family have been greatly heartened by the outpouring of support from the Richmond community."
The statement describes Louie's loss as "tragic" and said the community's response has been "compassionate."
Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or bmckelway@timesdispatch.com.
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