ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – An arrest no one saw coming in the case of the two dogs that were reportedly stolen and later found dead in Franklin County.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has arrested one of the dogs’ owners, Terry Michel who reported the dogs being stolen over a week ago.
Court records show Michel confessed to shooting and killing the two dogs, Caleb and Colby.
He also told deputies he then took the dogs’ bodies and dropped them off on the side of Carolina Spring Road.
[READ MORE: Vigil for stolen dogs in Franklin County canceled after owner confesses to killing them]
Director of the Franklin County Humane Society Anita Scott says she was shocked to hear of Michel’s arrest.
“It was shock and obviously anger at the ending of this story,” she said. “We’ve never experienced anything like this in our community.”
10 News reached out to Terry’s wife, Rhonda Michel, who we previously spoke with about the dogs’ disappearance and death. We have not heard back.
Scott says she’s spoken with Rhonda since her husband’s arrest.
“She is just in a profound state of grieving right now and is just unable to comprehend what has happened,” said Scott.
The Sheriff’s Office says Michel is facing two counts of felony animal cruelty, along with two counts of disposing of an animal’s body improperly and one count of filing a false police report.
“Absolutely want to see him held accountable. It’s been known for years that people start out on the most vulnerable victims and that would be animals and it’s something that as a community and as a nation we need to take seriously,” said Scott.
The vigil for Caleb and Colby scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled.
Michel is scheduled to have his first court appearance on March 1, 2023.