Investigating claim Virginia governor reinstated voting rights to a dead dog

We reviewed photos of the alleged letter that Gov. Abigail Spanberger sent to the late pet. Published Nov. 3, 2026 A rumor that Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger sent a letter to a dead dog notifying the animal of its reinstated voting rights circulated in early November 2026. The rumor spread after Virginia Delegate Tom Garrett mentioned the alleged letter on his social media on Oct. 30, claiming it came from a constituent, which sparked coverage by national conservative news media as well as local outlets. Garrett's office provided photographs of the alleged letter, the envelope and the dog's veterinary records to Snopes via email. We found no reason to doubt the validity of the claim but the dog's owner wished to remain anonymous, so Snopes was unable to verify all the evidence firsthand and we have left the claim unrated. Snopes reached out to Spanberger's office for corroboration and will update this article if we hear back. A rumor that Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger sent a letter to a dead dog notifying the animal of its reinstated voting rights circulated in early November. People on social media and Reddit shared the claim along with screenshots of the alleged letter and photos of the late pet, named Biscuit, with some suggesting that it put on display "the incompetency coming from the Democrats in Virginia." The claim circulated in the contentious lead-up to the midterm elections and in light of the governor's July announcement that she "restored the right to vote for 66,085 Virginians who were formerly incarcerated." Images of documents circulated that appeared to lend credibility to the claim, and the dog's owner allegedly confirmed it to news outlets but wished to remain anonymous. Because Snopes was unable to evaluate the evidence firsthand, we have left this claim unrated for now. The office of Tom Garrett, a former congressman and current member of the Virginia House of Delegates, shared photos of the alleged letter with Snopes via email, along with its envelope and a veterinary record for Biscuit from 2013. Spanberger's office didn't respond to Snopes' inquiries before publication but issued statements to other outlets denying the claim. Fox News reported Spanberger told them, "Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog. We cannot disclose this individual's information, but we can tell you that it is associated with a person with a date of birth and Social Security number." The letter appeared to be addressed to a Biscuit Rigsby in Gum Spring, Virginia, which is part of Goochland and Louisa counties. Garrett is a delegate for Virginia's 56th District, which includes portions of Goochland County, including Gum Spring. The letter's introduction stated, in part: Dear Biscuit Rigsby, I am pleased to inform you that Governor Abigail D. Spanberger has restored your right to vote, to become a notary public, to serve on a jury, and to hold public office. Enclosed is the official grant order that will serve as documentation of Governor Spanberger's decision. A second image included the full text of Spanberger's decision, including the key paragraph that details the restoration of rights: Now, therefore, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, by virtue of the authority vested in me, do hereby remove the political disabilities, except the ability to ship, transport, possess or receive firearms, under which Biscuit Rigsby, labors by reason of conviction aforesaid, and do hereby restore the rights to vote, hold public office, serve on a jury, and to be a notary public, effective September 4, 2026. (Office of Delegate Tom Garrett) Garrett posted a video on his social media about the letter on Oct. 30, which sparked coverage from conservative news media outlets such as Fox News and The New York Post, as well as local outlets, which ultimately led to the claim spreading widely online. The letter matched descriptions and other images of letters sent in similar reports of voting rights being restored to deceased individuals, including one person listed as "Betty No Last Name." Spanberger told a reporter from ABC affiliate WSET that the "No Last Name" letter was due to a spreadsheet error. A local CBS affiliate, WTVR, reported that Spanburger said, "We are working with clunky subpar databases, frankly." In his social media video about Biscuit, Garrett showed redacted images of the letter that matched those sent to Snopes by his office as well as photos of Biscuit provided by the owner. He said: We have the letter, we have the right seal, we have the signature of Governor Abigail Spanberger of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the only thing stopping Biscuit Rigsby, beagle-hound mix of Goochland, Virginia, from mailing in a ballot is the decent, upstanding honest nature of the constituent who was previously Biscuit Rigsby's owner. Garrett's office did not identify the constituent but confirmed that he lived in Goochland County. On Oct. 31, Garrett posted another video with a purported anonymous constituent who said they received a similar letter about restoration of voting rights that was not meant for them. Garrett appeared to be trying to make the point that Spanberger's rollout of the voting rights initiative for felons demonstrated a lack of oversight and suggested "rank incompetence." Garrett shared these stories in an effort to encourage his supporters to vote. His post about Biscuit concluded, "It's funny, but it's true, and it's a serious problem days before one of the most important midterms of our lifetime." For further reading, Snopes previously investigated the claim that a dog illegally voted in California's 2021 gubernatorial election. Sources Esposito, Joey. "Did Dog Illegally Vote in California Election? Sniffing out the Truth." Snopes, Snopes.com, 22 Feb. 2026, www.snopes.com/fact-check/dog-voted-california-election/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026."Governor Spanberger Restores Voting Rights for More Than 66,000 Virginians." Virginia.Gov, 2026, www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2026/july-releases/name-1121876-en.html. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.Locke, Taylor. "'Biscuit Rigsby': Dog's Name Raises Questions About Virginia's Voting Rights Restoration Process." CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR, Nov. 2026, www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/biscuit-rigsby-claims-virginia-felon-voting-rights-restoration-nov-1-2026. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.Richmond Times-Dispatch, Anna Bryson. "Henrico Doctors' Child Abuse Case Becomes Point of Attack in Race for Congress." Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2 Nov. 2026, richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_aa8a6627-5bf1-4de4-8c10-5d34fcdeafa1.html. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.Riden, Lily. "Virginia Woman Questions Voter Rights Restoration Letter Addressed to Deceased Partner." WSET, 14 Oct. 2026, wset.com/news/local/nelson-county-woman-questions-voter-rights-restoration-letter-addressed-to-deceased-man-october-2026. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026."Virginia's 56Th House of Delegates District." Wikipedia, 27 Feb. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virginia%27s_56th_House_of_Delegates_district&oldid=1340735586. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.Yancey, Dwayne. "A Dead Dog Named Biscuit Prompts Questions About How the Governor Is Restoring Rights to Convicted Felons." Cardinal News, CardinalNews, 31 Oct. 2026, cardinalnews.org/2026/10/31/a-dead-dog-named-biscuit-prompts-questions-about-how-the-governor-is-restoring-rights-to-convicted-felons/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026. By Joey Esposito Joey Esposito has written for a variety of entertainment publications. He's into music, video games ... and birds. Article Tags