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West Virginia Man Brutally Tortures and Kills 29 Dogs to Abuse Ex-Girlfriend

In another shocking case showing the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty, a 19-year-old man in West Virginia was arrested last week. The charges include domestic battery, kidnapping and 29 counts of felony animal cruelty.

Jeffrey Nally, Jr. held his former girlfriend captive in their home since December and proceeded to physically and sexually abuse her. Apparently that wasn’t enough. Beginning in January, Nally also tortured and killed 29 dogs, most of them puppies. He made his ex-girlfriend watch the horrendous murders, then forced her to clean up the mess.

Three puppies were found alive when a SWAT team converged on the house. They were slated for death following acts of torture. Luckily, they have a renewed chance for a happy life and already have been adopted into new homes. Along with the 29 other dogs, these puppies had been obtained from classified ads for free or very little money.

I would imagine the owners of these pets thought they had found a loving forever home for their pups, instead of the fate that all-too-often awaits free-to-good-home pets. As Nally was under house arrest for violating previous convictions, the dogs had to be dropped off at his house. Some of the dogs were littermates. One of the rescued puppies, a black lab, had siblings that weren’t so lucky.

The victim’s mother contacted police after Nally threatened to kill any police officer who approached the house, along with himself and the captive woman. After Nally was arrested, police used a search warrant to investigate the property. What they found is indescribable.

Many of the dogs had sustained injuries from blunt force trauma, gunshot wounds and snapped necks. Some were skinned or otherwise mutilated. Nally tried to hide the evidence by burying the dead dogs in the backyard. Police also uncovered the weapons used to torture the dogs, everything from hammers and drills to crossbows and guns.

How a person can willingly inflict so much pain on another living being for the pleasure of making someone else watch is beyond me. Nally is a repeat offender when it comes to terrorizing women, with a 2010 conviction for domestic battery.

People like Nally will continue the pattern of abusing both women and animals in the future. They are the reason so many communities are pushing for animal abuser registries. Hancock County Chief Deputy Todd Murray told local WTRF news that he believes it would only be a matter of time before Nally would get bored killing animals and move on to humans.

A push by concerned citizens is mounting across the U.S. to seek stiff sentencing for Jeffrey Nally, Jr. In addition to the charges of misdemeanor domestic battery and felonykidnapping, the penalties for felony animal cruelty in West Virginia can carry a sentence of 1-5 years and a fine of $1,000-5,000 dollars, per count. Nally could also be prohibited from owning any animals for 15 years from his conviction.

Send a letter to Prosecuting Attorney James Davis and Circuit Court Clerk Brenda Jackson asking the court to remain firm when convicting and sentencing Nally for his crimes.