Sign: Cruelty for Profit: Man Accused of Torturing Cats in Cancer Fundraising Scam Faces Felony Charges

Published: February 17, 2026 at 01:19 AM Author: Animal Welfare Investigative Writer & Petition Author

Henrico County, Virginia – A 27-year-old Virginia man is facing multiple felony charges, including torture and mutilation of a dog or cat causing death, computer fraud, and obtaining money by false pretenses. Police have identified Rodney Travis Jr., also known as Debbie Crankin, as the individual accused of exploiting injured, tortured cats – cats that he is accused of intentionally harming, in a manipulative online fraud scheme that spanned multiple social media accounts.

The allegations against this man are deeply disturbing. Rodney Travis Jr. is accused of intentionally injuring cats, posting videos of their suffering to his various social media accounts, falsely claiming they had cancer, and then shaming unsuspecting people into donating money to “save their lives.”

Video after video showed cats bleeding from their mouth and nose, weak, struggling to walk, or even to breathe. Travis even posted fake veterinary bills, with at least one over $35,000, to make his scam seem legitimate.

Court documents reveal the pain and suffering one of Travis Jr.’s victims endured:

“A veterinarian observed the videos and advised that the cat appears to have head trauma, a broken jaw, is in respiratory distress, and appears under the influence of drugs in many videos posted over the course of the last month.”

Henrico Police instigated an investigation into Travis Jr.’s activities after being tipped off by the Attorney General’s Office and Chesterfield County Animal Control Officers who advised of a potential scam artist securing donations through the posting of videos of distressed cats to social media. Officials opened an investigation after tipsters raised concerns that the cats’ injuries may have been intentionally inflicted and that videos of their suffering were being used to solicit donations.

As reported by CBS 6 News, the videos were later determined to have been filmed at the Candlewood Suites off Dickens Road in Henrico. According to court documents, Travis then got a hotel room at the Residence Inn off Glenside Avenue on Feb. 13 around 2 a.m. Officials found blood splatter and smears in the hotel room, large amounts of cat hair and red stains that also appeared to be blood.

Videos of distressed and clearly injured cats, with captions inspiring guilt and shame to account followers, resulted in this man raising thousands of dollars from donors who believed his lies. But some shrewd animal lovers saw through the cruel sham, prompting them to post warnings online in an effort to prevent rescues and shelters from adopting cats to him.

People suspicious about the cause of the injuries to the various cats in Travis Jr.’s videos successfully got the authorities involved, leading to his arrest on February 13; he was booked into Henrico County Jail West. Travis is being held without bond, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 26.

The allegations against Rodney Travis Jr. are damning. And the suffering of the cats in his “care” is well documented. One of the abused and exploited kittens, Hayden, was examined after being rescued. The veterinarian discovered the kitten had a fractured skull, multiple broken ribs, and a fractured spine in the process of healing.

These allegations have shaken animal lovers across the country, not only because of the cruelty involved, but because compassion itself was weaponized. We cannot unsee the suffering these cats endured. We cannot undo the harm. But we can fight for justice.

Please add your name to this petition and help Animal Victory demand accountability. 

On February 17, Travis Jr. was arraigned on the following charges:

• Two counts of Class 6 Felony Animal Cruelty in violation of Virginia Code Section 3.2-6570(F), The maximum statutory penalty for each Class 6 felony is 5 years of incarceration.
• One count of Class 5 Felony Computer Fraud to Obtain Money by False Pretenses in violation of Virginia Code Section 18.2-152.3. The maximum statutory penalty for a Class 5 felony is 10 years of incarceration.
• One count of an unclassified Felony Obtaining Money by False Pretenses in violation of Virginia Code Section 18.2-178. The maximum statutory penalty for this unclassified felony is 20 years of incarceration.

Decision Makers:

• Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor
• Michelle Welch, Senior Assistant Attorney General/Director of the Animal Law Unit in the Attorney General’s Office

WHY THIS PETITION MATTERS: 

We demand that Rodney Travis Jr. be convicted on all charges associated with his online abuse, fraud scheme. Multiple cats suffered torture and abuse, and this man must be held accountable for the immense pain he caused to multiple cats. We also demand that Travis Jr. be permanently banned from owning or living with animals. A person capable of inflicting harm on innocent animals for financial gain is a danger to society. When extreme abuse is not met with the strongest consequences, it tells abusers they can get away with it. These tortured cats deserve justice. 

Note: Police seized eight cats from Travis Jr.’s residence, and they are receiving veterinary care. The scam social media sites are still operating! Advocates have asked for these sites to remain active in order to allow the authorities to gather the proof they need to keep this man behind bars as long as possible. 

This petition is based on information from police and public officials. Details may change as investigations continue. If charges are modified, dropped, or expunged, Animal Victory will update upon verified documentation. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some images are illustrative when real photos are unavailable, restricted, or cannot be legally used. Our priority is accuracy, responsibility, and protecting the dignity of the animals involved. Animal Victory may reference and link to third-party news sources for informational purposes. All third-party content remains the property of its respective owners.

News

12 On Your Side News

Henrico County Police News Release

WTVR

WRIC

Henrico Citizen

Undercoverist

Feb. 17 WTVR