Henrico supervisors establish animal cruelty registry, approve new solar power facility

On Tuesday night, the Henrico Board of Supervisors approved the county’s first-ever animal cruelty registry, as well as a new Dominion energy solar power facility in Varina.

Henrico is the second county in Virginia to establish an animal cruelty registry, with Richmond creating their first registry last month. The online registry, which will be posted on the Henrico Police website, will include the names of individuals who have been convicted of felonies related to animal cruelty in the Henrico court system on or before July 1, 2024. 

Five individuals currently meet the requirement to be listed on the registry, with another ten cases pending. Crimes such as animal fighting or maiming, killing or poisoning an animal, and other forms of animal cruelty are considered felonies that would qualify for the registry.

All five individuals will be notified about the creation of the registry before they are listed, and any future individuals considered for the registry will also be notified before being included. Henrico Police hope that the registry will help animal shelters and adoption agencies better vet people looking to adopt pets.

The board also considered adding individuals’ booking photos to the registry along with their names, but that proposal was shot down in a 3-2 vote by board members. 

Three Chopt District member Misty Roundtree argued that legislation passed last July by the Virginia General Assembly did not explicitly state that photos could be included in local animal cruelty registries. The law states that localities may include an individual’s name, address at the time of conviction, type of offense committed, and the date and place of conviction on the registry – although county attorney Andrew Newby said that he believes the Freedom of Information Act would allow for photos to be included.

Roundtree also said that photos would be “not necessarily effective” at helping pet agencies identify individuals on the registry, since agencies already have a “comprehensive process” for people seeking to adopt.

“[There are] very extensive interviews and background checks and calling of vets,” she said. “So if there is any concern just because somebody has a similar name, I am confident that there are way more reliable ways to ascertain whether that is, in fact, the person on the registry, as opposed to using a mug shot.”

However, Deputy Chief of Police Todd Alvis has said that there is currently “no way” for police and animal shelters to “perform a good background check” on individuals’ history with animals, since people can be dishonest with their answers.

Varina District member Tyrone Nelson also said that booking photos have “historically been used to be biased tools against people of color.”

But board chair Dan Schmitt (Brookland District) said that the county should do “anything [they] can do” to prevent animals from landing in the wrong hands, and said that a photo would be an easy way for agencies to clearly identify individuals on the registry.

“I do believe it would help to identify the individual most quickly and easily for the person who is conducting the adoption at any site,” he said. “If you are prohibited from owning an animal due to your past convictions, then anything that we can do as a county to make that more clear, I would always support.”

The board also approved a provisional use permit request by Dominion Energy to construct a new “Nine Mile Road Solar” facility on 58 acres of land southwest of the intersection of Milburn Avenue and Voegier Road, near the intersection of Interstate 64 and Nine Mile Road. The solar panels will be built on top of a former landfill, with all electrical equipment installed above ground.

The facility, which is expected to be completed in 2028, will produce two megawatts (MW) of energy – enough to power 500 homes. Dominion is also constructing another solar facility in Henrico, Bridleton Solar, that is expected to finish in the summer of 2026.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.