Alabama, May 26: In a shocking incident of animal cruelty in the United States, a man allegedly killed a dog and cooked the animal because it barked too much. The accused, identified as James Williamson (44), has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after he allegedly killed the chihuahua puppy by cooking it in a hot oven. The alleged incident occurred on Monday, May 19, in Atmore, Alabama.

According to a report in People, the accused even threatened to shove the dog into an oven and turn it on because the chihuahua puppy was barking too much. Cops said that following an argument with a family member, Williamson allegedly put the chihuahua in the oven and then turned on the appliance. After this, the accused reportedly placed a chair against the door to prevent the dog from escaping. US Shocker: Inmate Coerces 11-Year-Old Girl Into Performing Sexual Acts, Records Video Call Inside Jail in Pennsylvania.

The incident came to light when Williamson's neighbours heard yelps coming from the home and alerted the police. Sergeant Darrell McMann of the Atmore Police Department said that he found the deceased chihuahua in the driveway when he arrived at the scene. Notably, the deceased dog was found with severe burns on its body.

"When I got there, I was just at a loss for words, you know," McMann said. The sergeant, who also has a chihuahua, said that he had to get himself together when he saw the dog. After the incident, Williamson was charged with a class C felony and placed under a USD 15,000 bond. It is reported that if found guilty, Williamson will be prohibited from owning animals in the future. US Shocker: 2-Year-Old Boy Falls From 15th-Floor Balcony, Suffers Only Broken Arm After Landing on Bushes in Maryland.

McMann also said that there should be tougher penalties in place for those who commit acts of animal cruelty.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2025 09:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).