Sharon Fowler

8-month old Labrador Retriever puppy hit with hammer and dragged behind car

 Ouachita Parish, LA

August, 2003

Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Sharon Fowler in November 2003 for the August 2003 torture and mutilation of an 8-month old Labrador Retriever puppy.  Fowler pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty after she hit the puppy with a hammer and then dragged it behind her vehicle. The puppy’s injuries were so severe that it had to be euthanized.

Fowler is scheduled to be sentenced November 2nd, 2006 by State District Judge James Boddie.  Assistant District Attorney Neal Johnson agreed that in exchange for her guilty plea, she should get no more than three years in prison.  She faces $5,000-$10,000 in fines. Johnson stated that due to the severity of the crime, he would not offer the chance at a reduced charge.  Fowler had been scheduled for a hearing on Monday, August 7th, to decide if she was entitled to a sanity commission, but instead pleaded guilty.

Police reports indicate that Fowler became enraged after noticing that her then 5 year old son had been bitten while playing outdoors with friends in a West Monroe mobile home park, though none of the marks broke the skin.  Fowler also claimed the dog tried to bite her.

Witnesses stated Fowler took a hammer out of her vehicle, and hit the dog on the head and body.  She then tied the dog to the rearview mirror and dragged it down the road, running over its head.  The rope came loose and Fowler left the dog and took her son to the hospital.

Fowler told police she was dragging the dog to its owner’s home, but didn’t know she ran over its head. 

A passerby stopped, saw the dog was still alive, and took it to the Lindsey Veterinary Hospital in West Monroe, where the dog was euthanized because of the extent of its injuries.

Fowler was released from the Ouachita Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.

Aggravated animal cruelty has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Update November 29, 2006:

The trial faced delays after 4th District judges voluntarily recused themselves because the dog’s owner worked for the 4th District Probation Office at the time of the incident.

In July 2006, a bench warrant was issued for Fowler after she failed to show up for a hearing on July 11th.  Fowler had been free on 5,000 bond, which the Judge reset to $10,000 for failure to appear.

Fowler was arrested on July 12th

In August, 2006, Fowler was scheduled to appear ad hoc Judge James Boddie for a hearing to determine if she was entitled to a sanity commission when she plead guilty to aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Fowler was sentenced to 3 years at hard labor in November, 2006 and will have to turn herself in to authorities on January 2, 2007 to begin her sentence.  The judge warned her, that should she not show, he will set aside the sentence cap.

Reference:

KATC News Channel 3

The News-Star