Slave Hounds Out of Virginia: End the Use of Attack Dogs in Virginia Prisons
Virginia Governor, Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, VADOC Director, Virginia Attorney General, and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
Virginia is a national outlier in the use of attack dogs against prisoners — and the gap is staggering. While Arizona documented 15 dog attacks over five years, Virginia documented 271 in the same period. This is not due to policy differences. It’s a unique feature of Virginia’s prison system.
Since 2022, the Virginia Department of Corrections has published 2,570 self-documented canine deployments on its own website. In 95% of these incidents, the dogs did not bite. They were used for "deterrence" — which means dogs lunging within inches of prisoners' bodies during daily movement to meals, school, and medication. Handlers incite them to bark, snap, and rear up on their hind legs. This is not security. It is routine terror.
According to Virginia law this is illegal. In 2024, the legislature passed § 53.1-39.3, limiting dogs to situations of imminent danger or multi-prisoner altercations. The law explicitly defines "use" to include lunging, barking, and intimidation — exactly what VADOC calls "deterrence."
"Deterrence" is not a legal category. The statute does not say dogs may be used for "general deterrence." It says they may be used only when someone is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury, or when three or more prisoners are fighting and a warden approves. Every time a handler walks a dog past a prisoner going to the chow hall, that is a "use" under the law — and it requires one of those two justifications. VADOC has never produced evidence that any of its 2,570 deployments met either threshold.
In three separate months, the Department deployed dogs 127 times without a single bite. If these dogs were actually "deterring" violence, there would be violence to deter. Instead, VADOC documented 127 deployments where nothing happened — which means there was no imminent danger, no multi-prisoner altercation, and therefore no legal basis for the dogs to be there at all.
The victims are overwhelmingly Black and Brown men in remote, segregated white communities. Prisoners have been mauled while handcuffed, permanently crippled, denied medical care, and thrown in solitary for speaking out.
This practice was deemed barbaric 200 years ago. It has no place in a modern society. Sign this petition to demand Virginia remove all attack dogs from its prisons, enforce its own law, and provide medical care and protection to the survivors.
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To:
Virginia Governor, Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, VADOC Director, Virginia Attorney General, and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
From:
[Your Name]
Dear [Petition Target],
I am writing to demand the immediate removal of all patrol and attack dogs from Virginia's prisons and full enforcement of Virginia Code § 53.1-39.3.
Virginia is a national outlier in the use of canines against prisoners. A 2023 investigation found that Virginia documented 271 dog attacks between 2017–2022, compared to 15 in the next highest state, Arizona. Since 2022, the Virginia Department of Corrections has published 2,570 self-documented canine deployments on its own website, with 95% classified as "presence only" deterrence.
This classification is not a legal defense. It is a confession.
Virginia Code § 53.1-39.3 does not authorize "deterrence" as a standalone use of canines. The statute permits canine use only in two circumstances: (1) when a handler reasonably believes there is imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, or (2) when a warden or supervisor has approved intervention in an altercation involving three or more prisoners. The legislature explicitly defined "use" to include presence, barking, growling, and lunging — the very behaviors VADOC categorizes as "deterrence." Every deployment is a statutory "use" requiring one of these two justifications.
VADOC has never produced evidence that any of its 2,570 documented deployments met either threshold. In three separate months, the Department deployed dogs 127 times without a single bite. If these deployments were genuinely deterring violence, there would be incidents of violence to document. The absence of both engagement and documented justification proves that "deterrence" is a policy euphemism for routine, unlawful deployment.
The victims are overwhelmingly Black and Brown men housed in remote, segregated white communities. Named prisoners have suffered permanent crippling injuries, denial of hospital-ordered care, and retaliation for speaking out. The practice has been condemned by correctional professionals nationwide and was criminalized during the Civil War when used against white Union soldiers.
I demand:
1. Immediate removal of all patrol/attack dogs from Virginia prisons
2. Full compliance with § 53.1-39.3, including publication of use policies and tracking of all legally mandated variables
3. An independent investigation by the Attorney General or outside inspector
4. Medical treatment for all canine-attack survivors
5. Zero retaliation against prisoners or supporters who speak out
Virginia passed a law. VADOC ignored it. "Deterrence" is not a statutory exception. Enforce the law or remove the program.
Sincerely,