Texas man arrested for allegedly stealing neighbors' dogs, killing them

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A man in Texas has been arrested and charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals by adopting pets and then allegedly killing them.

The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office was alerted on Oct. 3 about several dogs missing from local homes. One of the callers said a suspected dog thief lived in the area.

As deputies canvased the Simms area, they went to the home where Stuart Duncan Hammonds and his girlfriend lived. They smelled what seemed to be decaying animals, KSLA reported.

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Stuart Duncan Hammonds, 24, has been charged with 12 counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals. (Bowie County Correctional Center)

Deputies found seven animal carcasses around the home and barn. They found skeletal remains, 12 of them identified as dogs. Some of those dog skeletons had head trauma, a sign that they'd perhaps been shot.

The sheriff’s office said they believe Hammonds killed four of the dogs while he was enraged in a fight with his girlfriend, and they said a witness confirmed to them that he killed all 12 dogs.

Judge gavel, scales of justice and law books in court. (Brian A. Jackson/South Florida Sun Sentinel) (Stuart Duncan Hammonds, 24, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, and his bond has been set at $100,000.)

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Hammonds was arrested and charged with 12 counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, and his bond has been set at $100,000.

In addition to allegedly stealing dogs from neighbors, Hammonds reportedly adopted some of the animals through social media.