A dog owner in Alabama reportedly killed his Chihuahua by cooking it in an oven because it wouldn’t stop barking, with the responding officer discovering the tragic scene being a fellow Chihuahua owner.
James Williamson, 44, from Atmore, near the Florida state line, argued with a family member and allegedly threatened to put the small dog in the oven if it continued barking, officials informed FOX 10.
He then allegedly snatched up the dog, threw it in his hot oven — then wedged a chair against the door to stop it escaping, the report said.
Sergeant Darrell McMann said neighbors alerted the police due to the disturbing cries from the dying dog, leading him to find the puppy’s burned remains on the driveway when he arrived.
“I have a Chihuahua myself,” the cops said.
“When I got there, I was just at a loss for words, I really was. I just stood there and looked at the dog for a little bit and had to get myself together,” he said.
Williamson is charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a Class C felony, and is being held on a $15,000 bond. If let out, he won’t be allowed to have animals anymore.
Currently, aggravated animal cruelty is treated as a lower-tier felony in Alabama.
That means Williamson could avoid any significant prison sentence, depending on prior history and the judgment of the court.
“I think in cases like this, they should be strengthened,” Sergeant McMann said.
“Because I don’t think being a class C felony fits what he did. That pretty much describes what he did: horrible and inhumane,” he said.
