Emporia Woman Charged with Neglect After PETA Finds Dog with Extreme Mange Tethered Outside

For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Emporia, Va. –

Emporia resident Nakita Michelle Gilbert has just been charged with inadequate animal care by an owner after PETA fieldworkers discovered she was keeping a severely malnourished puppy tethered to a tree, suffering from an untreated infection that left his skin red, swollen, and—in some spots—raw and bloody. Instead of seeking veterinary care for his rapidly deteriorating skin condition—as required by Virginia law—Gilbert relegated him to the backyard, where she kept him in a trash-filled shed.

PETA alerted authorities to the dog’s deplorable living conditions in March after Gilbert refused to provide him with the care he needed. Authorities allowed PETA to gain custody of him, and the puppy, now named Cameron, is thriving in the care of his foster guardian—a PETA fieldworker—while he awaits adoption.

sick dog found in a pile of garbage — *Cameron suffering from a severe, head-to-toe skin infection and kept tethered amid rubbish in a dilapidated shed in March. Credit: PETA*

cameron adoptable dog chewing on a toy and has a donut plushy around his neck — *Cameron suffering from a severe, head-to-toe skin infection and kept tethered amid rubbish in a dilapidated shed in March. Credit: PETA*

“Rather than seeking the care this puppy urgently needed, his owner simply tossed him in a trash-strewn yard and left him to suffer in agony around the clock,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “While he’s now on the road to recovery, countless other dogs remain chained outside and neglected, which is why PETA urges everyone to report cruelty to animals in their communities, as it can save lives.”

Every year, PETA’s fieldworkers visit thousands of neglected dogs—forgotten, ignored, often found without shade, drinkable water, or any other way to cool down (or stay warm and dry in winter). Dogs relegated to the outdoors are often deprived of veterinary care, exercise, companionship, or even a kind word and are kept confined to the same few square feet of space day in and day out. That’s why PETA urges everyone to keep dogs indoors and works with government officials to require adequate food, water, and veterinary care to prevent suffering.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.