On July 5th, the Roanoke City Police Department began an investigation into City Dogs Boarding & Playcare, leaving owners scrambling to pick up their dogs and find other places to board them.
There have been many questions and not many answers...until now.
Court documents recovered by 10 News detail why RPD and their Animal Protection and Services Unit made their initial investigation into City Dogs.
A search warrant reveals that “Kennel Assignment Paperwork” had been seized by investigators.
According to documents, police responded to an animal neglect call at 801 Norfolk Ave - the building that houses City Dog. Police describe making contact with employees who “described a dog having symptoms of heat stroke, including convulsions and vomiting.”
The documents also say that the official was familiar with the location from a “previous ongoing investigation for hazardous conditions for animals.”
They also said that around 70 dogs were estimated to be in the building and had been housed in kennels or play groups “where the ground temperature is 85 degrees” and were housed in groups of 15 or more. Employees were described as “dripping in sweat and struggling with the temperature inside the warehouse,” while the heat index on July 5th, 2026 was “91 degrees Fahrenheit, but felt like 97 per the National Weather Service.”
The documents read that the dogs “do not currently have any water available to them that is visible” while “sewage water and open trays of cigarette butts are in the open.”
Dogs were also reported as “acting aggressive towards staff and other dogs” and seemed to be “in significant emotional distress.”
10 News reached out to Roanoke City Police Department and City Dogs via email but didn’t get a response.
City Dogs also posted an update to their Facebook page where they claim that “the statements currently circulating are either entirely false or have been presented in a highly misleading context.”
We will keep you updated as this story progresses.