x
Breaking News
More () »

Sheriff: Woman tossed dog from moving car because she was 'frustrated' with it

The incident, which occurred in Parker County, was recorded by the property owner's game camera

It's been a tumultuous 24 hours for a young Chihuahua mix named Pumpkin.

"She would like to take a nap," said Parker County Animal Control Supervisor Karen Kessler, whose arms Pumpkin was nuzzling into.

The tiny pup was found Thursday, roaming a lot in rural Weatherford. A woman named Vanessa was the one who discovered her. "It was very skittish at first," Vanessa said of the dog. "It didn't want [to go] anywhere near me."

Vanessa's family has had trouble with people illegally dumping on their property, so they set up game cameras. She went to check them to see if there were any clues as to how the dog got there.

"I was disgusted," she said of what she found.

Her camera captured an image, showing a woman in a minivan with her door open, and Pumpkin falling to the street below. Vanessa reached out to authorities.

"Heartbreaking," said Sgt. Ricky Montgomery with the Parker County Sheriff's Office. "It's heartbreaking, to say the least."

Sgt. Montgomery said the image, including the license plate, was so clear that it led them directly to a suspect.

"The suspect initially lied and claimed she had nothing to do with throwing the dog from the car," Montgomery said.

Then, they said, they showed her the picture and the story changed.

"She indicated that she was frustrated with the dog because it kept getting out of her property, and she couldn't handle it anymore," he said.

WFAA asked his response to that explanation. "Grow up," the sergeant said.

The Sheriff's Office said 43-year-old Janet Byas of Springtown, Texas, is now facing a Class A misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty. The dog's chip, they said, showed her as the owner. Through the Sheriff's Office, Byas declined our request for an interview.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Byas told investigators that she thought "if she dropped the dog off somewhere else that the dog would have a better home."

Parker County Animal Control said they may see 5,000 animal dumping cases a year. Vanessa said she's adopted 15 dogs that were dumped on her property alone, but there have been far more than that.

"It's just so sad," she said. "Because there are so many rescues, and so many other ways of doing this, she could've done something else."

Calling this move, the day after Valentine's Day, heartless.

Before You Leave, Check This Out