Arrest made 4 months after dog found shot in head in Cowlitz County

Web Staff, CNN | 3/8/2024, 10:02 a.m.
A woman has been arrested in connection with an animal cruelty case that happened in Nov. 2023.
An arrest has been made 4 months after Trooper the dog was found shot in the head in Cowlitz County, Washington. Mandatory Credit: KPTV via CNN Newsource

Washington: A woman has been arrested in connection with an animal cruelty case that happened in Nov. 2023.

On Nov. 2, 2023, a utility crew with Cowlitz County found a dog lying in a ditch on the side of Spirit Lake Highway. The white English Retriever appeared to have been shot in the head and had its mouth taped shut.

The incident was investigated by the Cowlitz County Humane Society and later taken over by the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. According to the sheriff’s office, an examination determined the dog had been shot in the head and the projectile had broke into numerous small pieces.

During the investigation, detectives were able to identify the suspect as 33-year-old Jessica Rosita Schmidt, of Castle Rock. She was identified as the previous owner of the dog.

On Wednesday, detectives arrested Schmidt as she was driving in the 8500 block of Barnes Drive in Castle Rock. She was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail for first-degree animal cruelty, making false or misleading statements to a public servant, and second-degree driving while license suspended.

Schmidt’s bail has been set for $5,000. Her formal arraignment is set for Thursday, March 21.

The dog, now known as Trooper, survived his injuries and was adopted in December by one of the utility workers who originally found him.

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