A Cordell woman could spend five years behind bars after being charged with a single felony count of animal cruelty. Alexandra Paige Palmer, 18, was formally charged with the crime Aug. 15, 2019, and a felony warrant issued for her arrest, based upon an incident from July 9, 2019.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Cordell assistant police chief Scott Hill, he was dispatched to Palmer’s residence in Cordell to conduct a welfare check on a dog. Upon arrival, Hill noticed the animal was dead and observed conditions leading him to suspect animal cruelty.
“On July 9, 2019, at approximately 6:00 p.m., I was dispatched to the area of 10th Street and North Lee Street to conduct a welfare check on a dog,” Hill wrote. “Upon my arrival, I observed a small dog, brown and black in color, laying in the backyard at 1100 N. Lee. When I approached the animal I observed that it was deceased. I observed numerous flies and other insects flying around and landing on the animal’s body.”
Hill then made contact with the people at the residence, who told him the dog belonged to Palmer, but she wasn’t home at the time. She was, they told Hill, at her grandmother’s house nearby. Hill went to the grandmother’s house and interviewed Palmer, who acknowledged ownership of the dog, but claimed to have left water out in a bowl and chained the dog up in a place where it would have access to shade.
Hill’s report indicated there was neither a bowl for water out, nor was there any shade available for the dog.
“It is my belief that the dog died from lack of water and excessive heat,” Hill reported. “The temperature that day was 95 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Hill’s report was confirmed by an eyewitness report.
If convicted, Palmer could be sentenced to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The warrant for her arrest was still outstanding as of press time.
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