Charges refiled in Round Hill animal cruelty case

By Audrey Carpenter

Charges have been refiled against Round Hill residents Nicole Metz, Kimberly Hall and Alex Hall, accused of alleged animal abuse while operating an animal rescue organization from their homes last year. A total of 102 animals were seized from the two homes by Loudoun County Animal Services between February and March 2023.

Unsecured bonds in the amount of $2,000 were set for all three defendants on Thursday, Jan. 11 by Circuit Court Judge James Plowman. A trial is set for Sept. 23.

Former Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj’s office dropped the original charges filed in the case on Nov. 29, 2023 stating the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office needed more time to access information stored on a laptop owned by the now defunct organization, Luck of the Irish Animal Rescue.

Prosecutor Joseph Gesley dropped seven counts of animal cruelty, two counts of importing an animal without a certificate, and single counts of obstruction and other unlawful acts against Metz, the former executive director of the organization.

Eight counts of animal cruelty and two counts of importing an animal without certification were also dropped against Hall, former operations director of the group. Additionally, eight counts of animal cruelty were also dropped against Alex Hall, Kimberly Hall’s son, according to court records, who was involved in marketing efforts for the organization.

Metz and Kimberly Hall were next door neighbors and friends who lived in the 35000 block of Dundee Court in the The Highlands at Round Hill neighborhood. Hall sold her home on May 13, 2023 for $1.15 million three months after animals were seized from her home: https://www.homes.com/property/35184-dundee-ct-round-hill-va/7xjc2w6lmx3hm/?t=sold

Metz also put her house on the market as of Nov. 21, 2023. It is listed for $4 million by Debbie Henry with Samson Properties, the same realtor who sold Hall’s home:

https://www.homes.com/property/35209-dundee-ct-round-hill-va/36t1cks2ek9yt/

Neighbors said it’s been hard to see the homes for sale, with listings presenting pictures of very clean and well-maintained homes, when pictures released by Animal Services officers showed squalor conditions inside where animals were kept.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that these women can put their homes on the market for millions when they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, spend money on veterinary care or proper feeding of the animals they took in. You can’t feed an animal, yet you are living in a million plus dollar home? I don’t get that,” said a homeowner in the neighborhood.

Animal Services officers said they found the homes’ floors covered with feces and urine, and found most of the animals were confined to crates, some of which were stacked on top of each other. Many of the animals needed veterinary care, and three had to be euthanized after being removed from the homes. Conditions in both homes were found to be unsanitary, hazardous and consistent with hoarding, according to officers’ reports.