Danville man gets six months in jail for animal abuse

DANVILLE -- A man who threw a small dog off a bridge on Henry Street last month has been sentenced to six months in jail for animal cruelty.

Danville General District Court Judge M. Lee Stilwell sentenced Cecil McLaughlin of Danville on Thursday to 180 days for the crime.

Paulette Dean, executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society, said Geraldine Turner testified that she asked McLaughlin to find a place for the dog "thinking he'd give it to his nephews."

Instead, witnesses said, McLaughlin dragged the dog up Henry Street to a bridge spanning a 20-foot-deep ravine filled with bottles and broken glass and tossed the dog over the side.

The shelter manager, April Hogan, climbed down the ravine to rescue the dog, which was taken to a veterinarian.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Travis Owens prosecuted the case but said he could not comment on it since McLaughlin has 10 days to file an appeal if he wants to.

Dean said the dog, a young beagle/Jack Russell mix named Franklin, is doing well now. The Humane Society got custody of the dog at a hearing July 30, and Turner was ordered to surrender another dog she owned to the shelter.

At that hearing, Stilwell also prohibited Turner from owning any other animals. She still faces charges of animal neglect because Franklin was thin, dehydrated and covered in bug bites before the bridge incident.

Dean said she was pleased with the sentencing.

"We're fortunate in this area that the commonwealth's attorney's office and the courts take these matters so seriously," Dean said.

Meanwhile, Franklin is looking for a new home.

"He's a sweet and loving dog," Dean said.

Denice Thibodeau is a staff writer for the Danville Register & Bee.