Man Enters Plea in Dog Hanging Case

A man who was arrested after he was accused of hanging a dog in the tree has been indicted on animal cruelty charges. John Davante “Tay” Copening Jr. was indicted on charges of cruelty to animals and wanton endangerment by a Kanawha County grand jury this week. The incident happened in April on Charleston’s West Side and Copening Jr. turned himself in. Copening’s girlfriend, Sydney Delaney, also turned herself in to police after she was wanted on a charge of accessory after the fact.