SIMMS, Texas — A Bowie County man charged with multiple cases of animal cruelty allegedly strangled dogs until they passed out and then violently killed them, according to probable cause affidavits filed in district court.
Stuart Duncan Hammonds, 21, has been charged with 12 counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals. His case has been assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. Hammonds was arrested Oct. 15 and remains in the Bi-State jail with bond set at $100,000, according to jail records.
The investigation began Oct. 3, when Bowie County sheriff’s deputies were notified of several dogs missing from their homes in the Simms area.
One of the victims, who had reported four dogs missing, reported she had received information that Hammonds had been taking dogs in the area and killing them in his property. The woman told Bowie County deputies that Hammonds’ girlfriend had sent photos to another friend of deceased dogs on the property.
The victim told law enforcement she believed Hammonds’ girlfriend was angry with him when she told people about the dogs because he had told her to leave during an argument.
The woman who called deputies about missing dogs also showed them screenshots of Facebook posts where Hammonds’ girlfriend was active in several animal adoption pages.
The woman also showed deputies a screenshot from Hammonds’ girlfriend that showed a dead dog next to Hammonds’ barn.
Deputies and investigators went to Hammonds’ property and noticed an odor of decay, according to the affidavit. While speaking with Hammonds and his girlfriend, they noticed several animal carcasses and loose bones around a camper and in the open barn area.
Skeletal remains of four dogs were found under a rubber mat and cardboard box in the barn area. More skeletal remains led to the identification of 12 dogs that were deceased on Hammonds’ property. Some of them had obvious head trauma consistent with being shot by a .22 caliber bullet, according to the affidavit.
When questioned, Hammonds’ girlfriend said she witnessed Hammonds kill dogs. She said she and Hammonds found several dogs in the road and picked them up to find their owner. She said she and Hammonds got into an argument and he became angry and killed the dogs as a result.
The girlfriend also told law enforcement that Hammonds used “meth and dope and cocaine” every other day and that he had been physical with her in the past. She also told law enforcement she had previously left Hammonds but returned because she was pregnant, according to the affidavit.
Hammonds denied killing the dogs and said they died from parvovirus, according to the affidavit.
As a result of the investigation, a seizure warrant was served for two Great Danes on the property. The two Great Danes will be evaluated by a veterinarian while in the custody of DeKalb Animal Control, according to the affidavit.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
