RIPLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A disturbing case of animal cruelty led to the arrest of a Jackson County man on Friday evening, July 18, 2025, after he allegedly slit the throats of two dogs at his home and threatened to harm others in the neighborhood.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sr. Trooper B.Q. Turner responded around 5:38 p.m. to a reported disturbance at 7010 Statts Mills Road. The caller reported that Daniel J. “DJ” Ramsey had recently returned from rehab and was acting erratically. She initially requested that an officer speak with him to calm him down.
While en route, dispatch received a second call from neighbor James Burdette, who stated Ramsey had called him and claimed he had cut the throats of all the dogs at his house and threatened to kill Burdette’s dogs next.
When Trooper Turner arrived, Ramsey had already fled the scene in a Dodge pickup truck. At a nearby home belonging to Kathy Ramsey, the officer discovered a 2-month-old black Great Dane puppy with a visible throat laceration. The dog was alive but injured and left in Kathy’s care.
Trooper Turner then checked Ramsey’s residence and spotted a brown pit bull inside, bleeding heavily from the neck. EMS and Jackson County Animal Shelter were dispatched to the scene to assist with treatment.
As responders were treating the animals, Ramsey returned to the residence and was immediately taken into custody. Turner noted a strong odor of alcohol coming from Ramsey, who declined to speak with officers after being read his Miranda rights. He was arrested on the spot for animal cruelty.
A witness told authorities she had tried to stop him from harming the animals but was “dragged all over the yard” in the process. She said Ramsey had become paranoid, claiming, “They want to hurt my dogs, so I’ll hurt them first,” and believed he was preparing for war. While she didn’t witness the attacks directly, she believed he used a multi-tool knife.
Both dogs were transported to an emergency veterinary facility for treatment by the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
