By Heather Hollingsworth and Jeffrey Collins Fourteen people in at least nine states, including Virginia, have been sickened by salmonella after handling tainted dog food from a South Carolina plant that a few years ago produced food contaminated by toxic mold that killed dozens of dogs, federal officials said Friday.

CHESAPEAKE Weighing in at about 150 pounds with at least five strikes against him, the 2-year-old Saint Bernard didn't have much going for him last month. Alchemy bit one of his foster parents in Chesapeake just a few months after nipping three people in a Winchester-area kennel and another woman in Maryland, officials said. He was marked for death.

CHESAPEAKE
The Chesapeake Police Department will host the 14th annual Iron Dog Competition from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Northwest River Park, 1733 Indian Creek Road.
The competitions are free and open to the public.

VIRGINIA BEACH
At least one of three pit bulls that last week attacked five people in the city - including three children - will be put down, Animal Control officials said.

VIRGINIA BEACH A man faces two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty after police say a puppy was thrown from a second-floor hotel balcony last week. Officers found the 3-month-old Havanese puppy in critical condition when they responded to the Econo Lodge in the 3600 block of Bonney Road on April 4, according to a news release Animal Control issued Friday.

VIRGINIA BEACH A Circuit Court judge Thursday dismissed six charges against a dog day care owner that alleged he had failed to provide adequate care and space for his canine customers.

SUFFOLK In her 12 years as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Suffolk, Susan Walton has prosecuted street gang members and other violent criminals with considerable success. She also has prosecuted more than 100 cases of animal cruelty, including what she called some of the most horrific cases of abuse and neglect she's ever seen.

CORRECTION: Because of an editing error, this story incorrectly characterized interactions between Nikki the parrot and Mavish the cat. The parrot does talk and actually says, "Give me a kiss!" when playing with the cat. This page has been updated to reflect this correction.

By Liz King VIRGINIA BEACH A three-bedroom home on Knotts Island, N.C., surrounded by wooded acres and a marsh is the peaceful retreat Toni Enright and Jamie Cochran call home – a home they share with their 53 “kids.” From pit bulls to Chihuahuas, the pair rescue dogs with behavioral issues and rehabilitate them at Forever Home Sanctuary.

CHESAPEAKE

The Suffolk Humane Society and Suffolk Animal Control will sponsor an "Ain't Nothing Like a Hound Dog" adopt-a-thon Sunday at the Chesapeake Square PetSmart, 4300 Portsmouth Blvd. in Western Branch.

Adoption hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The two groups are also sponsoring an adoption drive on Saturday featuring cats, kittens, other dog breeds and puppies.