BY KEITH EPPS

The owner of a dog that drowned in a flooded Fredericksburg campsite late Wednesday might be charged--if police can figure out who he or she is.

City police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe said police are trying to determine who left the pit bull chained to a tree at a homeless refuge between Hazel Hill and the Blue and Gray Parkway.

A Hazel Hill resident called police about 9:50 p.m. Wednesday night after hearing the animal in distress.

The city fire department eventually went to the scene but decided that any attempt to rescue the dog posed too much risk to the workers because of rising water and the difficulty of accessing the campsite.

The location is next to Hazel Run, which had overflowed because of the heavy rain this week.

Bledsoe said it initially appeared that the dog, which weighed about 80 pounds, was zipped up in one of the tents.

But Officer Lee Ridenour returned to the scene yesterday morning and found the body chained to a tree.

Bledsoe said police are following up on leads regarding the identity of the dog's owner. The owner could face a misdemeanor charge of abuse and neglect of an animal.

Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
Email: kepps@freelancestar.com