Chilton County Dog Trainer Again Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty Following Appeal
CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. – Cupid Seymour, a 50-year-old dog trainer and owner of Cupid’s Dogโ House in Verbena, Alabama, hasโฃ been convicted โขof cruelty to animalsโค forโค a second time, following an appeal of his initial conviction in April. Aโ Chilton County jury delivered โฃteh guilty verdict in October, according to District Attorney C.J.โ Robinson.
Seymour was originally sentenced in April to โคone year in the Chilton County jail and twoโค years of probation, along with $3,500 in restitutionโ and aโ $1,000 fine. The case โขstemmed โfromโค the โdeath of Chloe,a โขfour-month-old puppy who was boarded at Cupid’s Dog House for obedience training.
Karen Black, Chloe’s owner, enrolled her puppy in a course at Seymour’sโ facility, leaving her in his care for three weeks before being notified of the dog’s death.โค A subsequent necropsy revealed Chloe โhad no food in her digestive tract, and prosecutors presented witness testimony stating it would take three to five days without food for such โa condition to develop.
Seymour appealedโข the initial conviction, leadingโข to a retrial the โweek of October 20. Despite theโข appeal,the jury โagain found him guilty of cruelty โฃto animals.
“I โขam grateful for theโฃ work โof our prosecutors and law โคenforcement officers,โ who strive to protect those who cannot protect themselves, including the animals who are membersโข of our families,” said Robinson. “Research shows a strong โcorrelation between animal โคand human cruelty, with individuals who abuse animals โคbeing considerably more likely to commit โviolent crimes against people. We are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent both behaviors.”
Seymour isโ scheduled to be sentenced on November 13 at 8:30 a.m.
