On May 5, 2026, Queen Anne’s County Animal Control received a report of a dog intruding on neighboring chickens at an address in Centreville, MD. Upon arrival, an Officer with Animal Control observed a brown and white pitbull that appeared to be severely underweight, with visible ribs, spine, and hip bones. Through investigation, contact was made with the Defendant, John Forbes, who advised that he was the caregiver for the dog, but claimed he was watching the dog for a friend. The Defendant agreed to surrender the dog to the animal shelter. On September 23, 2026, the Defendant was found guilty of one count of Animal Cruelty. He received an active sentence of 20 days to be served at the Queen Anne’s County Detention Center and was placed on probation following his release from jail. One of the conditions of probation is that the Defendant is not permitted to own or possess animals of any kind.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Caitlin Taylor.