Va. service dog organization owner held in contempt of court

BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10) - The founder of a Virginia service dog organization with ties to Blacksburg is being held in contempt of court and facing thousands of dollars in fines.

Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers is based in Madison, Va., just outside Culpeper.

The group delivered dozens of dogs to Blacksburg last fall for training, mostly with Virginia Tech students.

At the same time, the attorney general's office was attempting to investigate 36 consumer complaints related to the alleged marketing, sale, delivery, and training of its dogs, including misrepresentations of the services its dogs provide.

Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers has refused to fully and completely respond to its demands and was found in contempt, according to the attorney general's office.

On Monday, a Richmond judge ordered founder Dan Warren be held personally liable for the fines and attorney's fees which are adding up $250 a day.

The amount to date equals $68,000 in fines and about $12,000 in attorney's fees.