Two dogs in Valdese, North Carolina, were found so badly starved that one of them did not survive. The Burke County District Attorney now has the power to make sure this case ends with real accountability, and to ask the court to make sure the people charged can never own or care for an animal again.

On October 28, Valdese police answered an animal complaint and found two dogs that looked severely malnourished. Animal Control got a search warrant, and both dogs were taken to Burke County Animal Services for treatment. One of the dogs died anyway. The shelter said its mistreatment had simply been too severe. A state lab in Monroe is now examining the dog to find out exactly how it died.

Two people have been charged. A 67-year-old Valdese man faces four counts of animal cruelty. A 35-year-old woman faces one count of animal cruelty and a charge of giving false information to an officer. Police say more charges could come once the lab results are back.

A dog that suffered this much deserves more than a light sentence. Once the necropsy is complete, District Attorney Scott Reilly and his successor, District Attorney-elect Mitch Walker, should pursue the strongest charges the evidence supports. If there is a conviction, prosecutors should ask the court to bar both defendants from owning, keeping, or caring for animals in the future.

The dog who survived matters too. It should never be returned to the home where it was found. Instead, it deserves full medical care and a safe, loving family when it is ready.

Sign the petition to demand justice for the dog who died and a safe future for the one who survived.