Raleigh man accused of poisoning neighbor’s dogs was an animal rescue board member

A Raleigh man accused with his wife of poisoning his neighbor’s dogs was a board member of an animal rescue organization in Wake County operated by his daughter.

James Goldston, 71, and Agnes Goldston, 73, were charged by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office last week with three counts of felony animal cruelty and a misdemeanor offense of communicating threats.

Saving Grace, a Wake Forest nonprofit that rescues dogs, said via social media that James Goldston resigned as a board member the day after his arrest.

“Although he did not have any direct interaction with the dogs at Saving Grace, James Goldston has voluntarily resigned, effective immediately, to avoid any distraction from the important work of the organization,” Saving Grace said in a Facebook post.

Molly Goldston, who is listed on Saving Grace’s website as its founder and president, is the daughter of James Goldston, according to the nonprofit’s 2019 federal 990 form filed with the IRS.

James Goldston had been on the group’s four-person board since at least 2017, according to the oldest 990 form available on Guidestar, a website that reports information on U.S. nonprofits. He received no compensation for his work, according to the form.

Saving Grace did not return a phone call or email message from The News & Observer on Monday.

Raleigh dogs allegedly poisoned

The Goldstons were arrested Thursday and posted $30,000 bail each on Friday, The N&O previously reported.

The couple were allegedly having a dispute with their neighbor Philip Ridley and poisoned three of Ridley’s black Labrador retriever dogs.

Two died, and all three were found by a veterinarian to have been poisoned, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

James Goldston is also accused of tossing a handwritten letter into the Ridleys’ yard threatening their daughter, arrest warrants obtained by The N&O show.

“Your Daughter is Next. B Careful,” the letter stated.

Authorities previously said the Ridleys reported that three dogs became ill and that two of them died shortly after the Goldstons sent threatening letters, WRAL and ABC 11 reported.

Ridley told WRAL that one dog died in July 2022 and that he believed the Goldstons poisoned squirrels the dogs may have eaten.

Ridley has had previous issues with the Goldstons, and other neighbors have received threats from them, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Colleen Hammond contributed to this report.