PALESTINE, Texas. Two Palestine residents have been arrested on felony animal cruelty charges after police say a puppy died after being left in a cage without shade or water during extreme summer heat.
According to the Palestine Police Department, officers and Animal Control responded shortly before 4 p.m. on July 21 to a residence in the 200 block of West Park after receiving a report that a puppy was locked in a cage in direct sunlight with no access to shade or water.
When officers arrived, they found the puppy dead inside the cage.
Police identified the owners as Daisy Guity, 29, and Lisbeth Guity, 31, both of Palestine.
According to investigators, the pair told officers they placed the puppy in the cage at approximately 1 p.m. before leaving the residence.
Authorities noted that the heat index in Palestine exceeded 100 degrees that afternoon.
Both Daisy Guity and Lisbeth Guity were arrested and charged with Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animal, a third-degree felony. They were booked into the Anderson County Jail without incident.
The puppy's body was transported to Texas A&M University, where a necropsy will be performed.
Police Chief Mark Harcrow reminded pet owners of their responsibility to provide adequate care for animals during periods of extreme heat, warning that those who fail to provide sufficient shade and water could face criminal prosecution.
Anderson County Criminal District Attorney Allyson Mitchell said crimes against animals that depend on humans for their care will not be tolerated and that prosecutors will work with police as the case moves forward.
