Woman Allegedly Tortured Puppy by Clamping Snout Shut With Hair Tie Because Dog Was 'Whining'
A Utah woman is accused of torturing a three-month-old puppy by clamping the dog’s mouth shut with an elastic hair tie to stop the animal from “whining.”
On Tuesday, 19-year-old Alexis Callen was charged with felony torture of a companion animal after Murray City police learned of a hospitalized black lab-mix puppy that showed signs of abuse, KUTV, Fox13 and Gephardt Daily report.
The puppy, named Shadow, was rescued by Celestial Rescue Zoo after they saw Callen’s post on Facebook saying she wanted to re-home the dog. In her post, Callen wrote she needed to re-home Shadow because she had gotten hurt and was unable to pay her medical expenses.
Shadow was brought to Cottonwood Animal Hospital to be treated for severe snout disfigurement. When authorities questioned Callen, she allegedly admitted to putting an elastic hair tie around Shadow’s snout to stop her from “excessive whining” so Callen could sleep, according to a probable cause statement obtained by KUTV.
She allegedly told investigators the hair tie was on Shadow for 48 hours. But authorities believe it was on for longer.
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“We are thrilled at the quick action and hope that justice is found,” Celestial Zoo Rescue wrote in a Facebook status on June 18. “She still has a long road and surgeries ahead of her, but she’s expected to make a full recovery.”
Shadow is now in the care of a foster family, according to Fox13. It is unclear whether Callen has an attorney or has entered a plea.
