Arnold woman accused of fatally shooting dog she recently adopted
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An Arnold woman is accused of shooting and killing her dog on Sunday.
Arnold police charged Susan Mullenax, 49, of Alcoa Drive with a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals. She was arraigned Sunday and released from the Westmoreland County jail after a professional bondsman posted her $25,000 bail, according to court records.
On Tuesday, Orphans of the Storm, a nonprofit animal shelter in Rayburn Township, Armstrong County, identified the dog as Waylon, a young hound mix that Mullenax adopted from them a little more than a month ago.
In a criminal complaint, police said a friend of Mullenax walked into the police station and told them Mullenax had called him and said she had killed her dog. He believed her and wanted an officer to check her home.
Police said, while an officer was taking the man’s report, he called Mullenax and asked, “What happened to the dog, Susan?”
According to the complaint, Mullenax told the man she had killed the dog, and, if he was going to call the police, he should do it now or she was going to bed. After Mullenax was told an officer was present and asked if the dog was alive or dead, she stated that the dog was dead, that she had killed it and that it was in the garage, police said.
Police said they found Mullenax at the back of her home, swaying and stumbling before sitting on a retaining wall. Asked where the dog was, she pointed to the garage, the complaint said.
Police said officers entered the garage with Mullenax and found the dog in a trash bag with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and neck. Mullenax was placed under arrest.
Police said Mullenax led officers into her home to retrieve the firearm.
Police did not say how many times the dog had been shot, but the complaint states the gun contained four spent casings and one live round in the chamber. One slug was recovered, police said.
In a release, Orphans of the Storm said the dog came to the shelter in December and was adopted April 30. It said those animals undergo a strict screening process, and the adoption did not raise any red flags.
The shelter described Waylon as friendly, affectionate and playful.
“We are all devastated and still processing this event,” said Beth Ann Galbraith, executive director for Orphans of the Storm. “We will be following this case and share updates as we know them.”
Mullenax is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday, June 22.