Latest news with #chihuahua
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Missing chihuahua Bea is reunited with delighted family five YEARS after disappearing during Covid
An overjoyed family have been reunited with their beloved dog more than five years after she first went missing. Faye Grogan, 34, from Penshaw, Sunderland, was devastated after her one-year-old chihuahua Bea vanished without a trace in early 2020 while playing in the garden with her sister, Lady, on January 16, 2020. Despite desperate attempts to find their four-legged friend, Bea's whereabouts remained an utter mystery, with her heartbroken family speculating that she may have escaped through a hole in the fence. Speaking to the Northern Echo about her traumatic disappearance, Ms Grogan said that upon discovering her young pet was missing, 'the panic set in really fast'. She added: 'It was becoming dark really fast. We were shouting down every single street to find her. 'We just felt this nothingness - it didn't make sense. The past five years have been upsetting, just thinking of the worst.' Devastated by the unexpected disappearance of their four-legged friend, Ms Grogan, alongside her mother, Karen Culkin, 68, said they never gave up hope she would be returned. The pair, who described living in 'utter turmoil' since the day she vanished, even set up a Facebook page in Bea's name which gained the support of hundreds of pet-loving members deeply invested in returning Bea home. Now, more than five years on, her overjoyed owners have been left in utter disbelief at Bea's discovery, having been handed into the vets nearly 13 miles from home. On Monday, May 26, Ms Grogan received an unexpected call from the vets, reporting that Bea had been discovered by a member of the public on the road in Newcastle. The man, who was driving his wife to work at the time, had seen Bea run out in front of his car. Deciding to take her to Westway Veterinary Hospital in Fenham, she was then scanned for a microchip where it was discovered she had been missing since early 2020. Given the fit and healthy condition the young pet was found in, her owners have speculated that perhaps Bea had been living with a different family who were unaware she was missing. However, police are yet to have found any evidence to substantiate such claims. Recalling the heartwarming moment she discovered her beloved pet had been found, Ms Grogan, who said that she initially thought the voicemail script from the vets had come from a 'prankster', said: 'When they confirmed it was her, I was crying down the phone. 'The girl on the phone said even she was tearing up when I told her Bea had been missing for five years - she had goosebumps.' Taking to Facebook to share their long-awaited reunion, Ms Grogan, who has two daughters, Rosie, 12, and eight-year-old Madalay, gushed: 'The day we never thought would come finally arrived. Recalling the heartwarming moment she discovered her beloved pet had been found, Ms Grogan, who said that she initially thought the voicemail script from the vets had come from a 'prankster', said: 'When they confirmed it was her, I was crying down the phone' Taking to Facebook to share her relief at Bea's finding, Ms Culkin said: 'We finally got her home, our beautiful Bea. 'She is back where she was always meant to be. We never gave up. Our broken hearts aren't broken anymore. 'And five years, four months, one week and three days of torture is finally over.' Our hearts are now full again. Never ever give up hope. 'The support and co-operation from everyone has been overwhelming and if I could I'd personally thank each and every person.' Meanwhile, Ms Culkin added: 'We finally got her home, our beautiful Bea. 'She is back where she was always meant to be. We never gave up. Our broken hearts aren't broken anymore.' Utilising Bea's story as an opportunity to encourage fellow dog owners to get their pets microchipped, Ms Grogan added: 'Please get your dogs chipped, without it we would never have seen Bea again. 'She wasn't neglected by any means, and she still escaped. It can happen.'
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Man COOKS his pet chihuahua in an oven before giving sickening explanation
A quiet Alabama town has been shaken to its core after authorities say a man committed one of the most horrific acts of animal cruelty they've ever encountered and deliberately cooked his own pet chihuahua alive inside a heated oven. James Williamson, 44, of Atmore, close to the Florida border, said he carried out the despicable act all because the tiny dog wouldn't stop barking. He is now facing a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty after police say he followed through on a threat to kill his dog. The gruesome incident occurred last Monday when Williamson got into an argument with a family member. It was during this heated exchange he allegedly threatened to shove the puppy into the oven if it didn't stop barking. Williamson is alleged to have taken the small dog, stuffed it inside a hot oven and turned the appliance on before wedging a chair against the oven door to prevent the puppy from escaping. Neighbors soon reported hearing yelping and cries coming from inside Williamson's home, but by the time police arrived the sound had stopped. According to Sergeant Darrell McMann of the Atmore Police Department, a veteran officer who owns a chihuahua himself, found the puppy's charred, lifeless body outside on the driveway, suffering from severe burns across its tiny body. Sergeant Darrell McMann of the Atmore Police Department who owns a chihuahua himself described the case as 'horrible and inhumane' saying it tested his composure McMann described the case as 'horrible and inhumane' and said it tested his composure in a way few cases have. 'When I got there, I was just at a loss for words, you know. I really just stood there and looked at the dog for a little bit and had to get myself together,' he told WALA. 'This was someone's pet. This was a life - a small, trusting, defenseless life - and it was tortured.' Williamson was swiftly arrested and charged with a class C felony, the standard charge for aggravated animal cruelty in Alabama. He was booked into custody with a $15,000 bond. If convicted, he will be prohibited from owning animals in the future. But Sergeant McMann believes the punishment should be far more severe. 'I think in cases like this, they [the law] should be strengthened,' McMann said. 'Because I don't think being a class C felony fits what he did.' Currently, Alabama law treats aggravated animal cruelty as a lower-tier felony. The burned body of the small, lifeless dog was found on Dogwood Drive in Atmore last Monday That means, depending on prior history and the court's judgment, Williamson could avoid significant prison time altogether. Those on social media were outraged by what they had heard. 'I think that might be a fitting punishment for him. And maybe all animal abusers in Alabama,' implored one user. 'Well if he didn't like barking, don't get a dog!' stated another. 'At what point are we going to change our laws here in Alabama so people like this are actually punished? Animal abuse happens far too often, and it's unacceptable. We rank 49th out of 50 states for the worst animal cruelty laws. We need to do better, Alabama. It's heartbreaking that we continue to do nothing to improve, while people go on committing these horrible acts,' wrote a third.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man Busted For Animal Cruelty So Extreme That Cop Said He Had To Gather Himself
An Alabama man allegedly cooked a chihuahua puppy to death in the oven for barking too much, prompting a police officer on the scene to recoil in shock, according to reports. Sergeant Darrell McMann of the Atmore Police Department said neighbors heard yelps before officers arrived. McMann spotted the dog's badly burned body on the driveway. 'When I got there, I was just at a loss for words, you know,' McMann told WALA. 'I just stood there and looked at the dog for a little bit and I had to get myself together.' James Williamson, 44, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, WALA noted. McMann, who also owns a chihuahua, called the case 'horrible and inhumane.' While the suspect was arguing with a family member, witnesses said Williamson followed through on an earlier threat to place the dog in the oven and turn up the heat because he was annoyed by its barking, the Atmore News reported. He had barricaded the dog inside the appliance with a chair, WSFA reported. One witness heard the dog yelping a short time later, according to the Atmore News, which wrote from the police report. Authorities found evidence of the animal's death in the kitchen, according to the report cited by the local outlet. Man Accused Of Tying Dog To Fence Amid Hurricane Faces Animal Cruelty Charge Kansas City Chiefs Player Turns Himself In To Police On Animal Cruelty Charges Extreme Animal Cruelty Cases Can Now Be Prosecuted As Federal Crimes
