Overview

• On May 19 in Atmore, James Williamson allegedly stuffed his Chihuahua puppy into a hot oven and wedged the door shut during a family dispute over barking.
• Neighbors reported hearing yelps before deputies arrived to find the puppy’s body with severe burn injuries on the driveway.
• Williamson was arrested and booked on a $15,000 bond, facing an aggravated animal cruelty charge classified as a Class C felony.
• If convicted, he will lose the right to own animals and could face prison under Alabama’s current felony guidelines, which critics say allow lenient sentences.
• Sergeant Darrell McMann, who discovered the puppy’s remains and owns a Chihuahua himself, called the act “horrible and inhumane” and urged lawmakers to strengthen cruelty penalties.