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A Page County man will spend five years behind bars for dozens of charges involving animal fighting and animal cruelty.
Dale Comer Jr., 42, was convicted of 26 counts of animal fighting, 20 counts of animal cruelty and one count of drug possession.
After serving five years in jail, Comer will have an 86-year suspended sentence “hanging over his head,” Attorney General Mark Herring’s office said.
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Comer was also ordered to pay $29,714.51 in fees and given a lifetime ban on owning animals of any kind.
“Animal fighting of any kind is a heinous activity that puts innocent animals in dangerous, many times life-threatening, situations,” said Attorney General Herring. “I created my Animal Law Unit to help put a stop to animal cruelty and fighting in the Commonwealth and I am incredibly proud of their success over the past six years. I hope this strong sentence will send a message to anyone who plans to participate in cockfighting that it will not be tolerated in Virginia.”
The Attorney General’s Office called Comer’s sentence the largest cockfighting sentence in Virginia and U.S. history.
Evidence presented in court showed Comer participated in cockfighting at his home in Page County.
The Page County Sheriff’s Office made three separate visits to Comer’s home where deputies said they found a cockfighting yard set up.
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The Sheriff’s Office also said deputies found a plastic bag with methamphetamine residue during their final visit to the home.
Two of the animal fighting charges Comer was convicted of also involved him allowing and teaching his children to participate in cockfighting.
The Attorney General’s Office said Comer gave them birds of their own, taught them how to train them and took them to cockfights in West Virginia and Kentucky.