Man headed to trial for fatally stabbing dog » BY TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
A Stafford man charged with animal cruelty is facing a trial after fatally stabbing a dog earlier this month. Richard Stephen Rowe, who stabbed a Rhodesian ridgeback named Archer on May 1 in south Stafford, will answer to the class 1 misdemeanor charge and faces up to a year in jail and/or a fine. It happened along Sanford Ferry Court off Celebrate Virginia Parkway just after Archer jumped a fence onto a path Rowe was walking on with his own dog, according to a Stafford County Sheriff ’s Office animal control investigation. The path is near the back of the home where Archer lived with his family, Rachel and Nathan Brenke and their children, ages 8, 5, 4 and 3. Rowe, who repeatedly stabbed Archer, later told authorities that Archer jumped
the fence, charged him and his dog, and lunged at them, attempting to bite them. To avoid being bitten, Rowe said he defended himself and his dog. After an investigation by animal control, the case was handed off to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, which announced charges late last week. According to a commonwealth’s attorney office press release: “The law of defense may apply in this case. The fact that Mr. Rowe has been charged is not a determination that a claim of self-defense has merit, or not. The judge will make that determination based on the evidence presented at the trial.” The Brenkes were charged with a class 4 misdemeanor for allowing a destructive dog to run at large. At most, they could be charged a $250 fine if found guilty. According to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office investigation, Archer had
been aggressive and jumped the fence before, with the Brenkes aware of those incidents. The Brenkes vehemently deny that, however, and said that Archer was not an aggressive dog. “…Archer was beloved in the neighborhood and had no history of inappropriate aggression, biting or other violence,” the Brenkes said in press release through their attorney, Andrew Connors. They also noted that they never knew Rowe before the incident occurred. According to Rachel Brenke, her children were in the yard with Archer when the incident occurred and by no means would she have allowed them to play freely with a dog with aggression issues. According to Connor, Rachel Brenke told authorities that Archer jumped out of the yard despite the home’s fence, along
Stafford Hospital receives ‘A’ for patient safety For the third consecutive rating period, Stafford Hospital received an “A” from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit committed to driving quality, safety and transparency in the health care system. Stafford is one of 750 hospitals to receive an “A” for a commitment to reducing errors, infections and accidents that
can harm patients, according to a news release. Mary Washington Hospital received a “B” grade for safety. “The Leapfrog safety grade is becoming the gold standard measure for patient safety, and we are proud to see Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals recognized for their commitment to provid-
ing excellent, safe and high-quality care for our community,” said Dr. Rebecca Bigoney, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Mary Washington Healthcare. “It is Mary Washington Healthcare’s highest priority to provide a safe environment for our patients, associates and visitors.”
with a second invisible fence and a shock collar, which activated, so they were not negligent and had not “allowed” Archer to roam. Since Archer’s death, Rachel Brenke, a business attorney with the Stafford-based Connors & Brenke law firm, started a nonprofit in an effort to improve legislation that would help beef up protection for animals. The group hopes to work toward legal initiatives that will deter animal abuse through harsher punishment for those who hurt animals. It wants to provide community support for people who have lost pets at the hands of others and raise awareness about the treatment of animals and lack of proper legal prosecution of abusers. The Brenkes have a trial set for Stafford General District Court on June 5, while Rowe’s trial was not yet set at press time. “This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day.”
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