Woman accused of poisoning neighbors' dogs pleads guilty to threats, animal cruelty charges dismissed

A married couple accused of poisoning their neighbors' three dogs appeared in court Thursday, where their animal cruelty charges were dismissed.

James and Agnes Goldston, of Raleigh, were arrested in May. They were each charged with three counts of animal cruelty and communicating threats.

On Thursday, the couple appeared in court, where Agnes Goldston pleaded guilty to misdemeanor of communicating threats. Her animal cruelty charge was dismissed because the prosecutor couldn't prove the dogs were intentionally poisoned.

According to the prosecutor, Agnes Goldston had no previous criminal record. The prosecutor said the alleged poisoning and threats stemmed from the neighbors' disputes, including a letter Agnes Goldston sent a letter to the Ridleys threatening to kill the dogs if they continued to run wild.

In court on Thursday, Agnes Goldston's attorney said her client made a bad decision to send the letter after she was “accosted by the dog in a snapping manner” but that there is no evidence to establish animal cruelty.

“Ms. Goldston did not do harm to animals," her attorney said.

The prosecutor dismissed cruelty charges, saying there was no proof the dogs were intentionally poisoned.

James Goldston's case was dismissed.

James was a donor and board member of a local dog rescue Saving Grace. The rescue group later announced on Facebook that James resigned.

The couples both live in the Black Horse Run subdivision in north Raleigh, off Creedmoor Road.

The dogs' owners, Phillip and Jessica Ridley, said the first dog died in July 2022, another died later, and a third was sickened and hospitalized.

"It's traumatizing," Phillip said. "The dog is loving and caring one minute and 12 hours later he can't get up and seizing and collapsing due to chemicals."

After the second and third dogs showed the same symptoms as the first, the Ridleys called law enforcement.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office told WRAL News that each dog was evaluated at three veterinarians and all confirmed the dogs were poisoned.

The Ridleys say that the Goldstons were known to poison squirrels with antifreeze, and that their dogs might have eaten the squirrels and gotten sick.

"I have cried so much, I don’t think I have tears left," Phillip said.

According to the warrants, James Goldston sent threatening letters to the Ridleys, including one that said, "Your daughter is next," and poisoned and killed two of their three Labrador retrievers.

"For the past year over a year, they sent us threatening letters in the mail about our animals and our house," Jessica said.

One of those letters, shared with WRAL News, read, "If one or both of these dogs put their paws on my property I am going to blow their brains out."

"It was a nightmare," Jessica said.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office said other neighbors reported getting similar, anonymous threatening letters.