CHILTON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – An update on an animal cruelty case in Chilton County.

Professional K-9 specialist Cupid Seymour was arrested and charged after dog owner Karen Black said her puppy Chloe starved to death in his care.

WBRC spoke with Black, who is still grieving the death of her puppy Chloe, and Seymour, the owner of Cupid’s Dog House, who is outraged by the allegations.

Both claim their business relationship began about five years ago, but has turned sour in recent weeks.

On September 28, a 16-week-old puppy named Chloe was taken in by Cupid’s Dog House for four weeks of training.

“Chloe arrived very happy and healthy,” Seymour said.

“I’ve been getting videos throughout practice and text messages of her doing great,” Black said.

About a week before Chloe came home, Black received an unfortunate phone call. “He said he had bad news, that Chloe was dead and my daughter and husband were right there and the screams that came out of my daughter I’ve never heard in my life.”

After that, the Black family wanted answers.

Seymour said: “There were no initial signs, some dogs contract things. The puppies sleep a lot, but he showed no signs of illness,” Seymour said.

The Black family also learned that during this time Seymour was hospitalized and his business was managed by his sons.

After that call, Chloe was taken to Black’s vet where a necropsy was performed.

“The next day, they informed me that Chloe had absolutely nothing in her GI tract,” Black said.

“All the dogs are fed regularly, that’s part of the program. Most owners send food with the dog. She sent some and later received some. He loved to eat and he did a great job of it and we even used snacks during training,” Seymour said.

Black said he then contacted the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and signed an arrest warrant.

“They are often what we call false accusations. I have been blessed to be successful in business for over 26 years. God didn’t bless me with this success by being dishonest or hurting people’s dogs,” Seymour said.

Seymour believes that before he got Chloe, she may have had pre-existing issues that affected how she died.

While Black claims her dog was healthy, this must have happened because of his mistreatment.

Seymour was arrested Monday on animal cruelty charges and was released about an hour after his arrest.

The Chilton County District Attorney’s Office confirmed they are aware of the situation and an investigation is ongoing.

Get news alerts in Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter Here.

Copyright 2024 WBRC. All rights reserved.