Woman accused of shooting dog during Whitley Co. burglary

KENTUCKY -- A woman faces burglary and animal cruelty after investigators say she broke into a Whitley County home, then shot the homeowner's dog in the face.

According to the Whitley County Sheriff's Office, Dena Baird broke into a home on Tyes Ferry Road back in November.

A criminal complaint states that Baird stole three handguns, a rifle, two laptops, a camera, an iPad, an Xbox and jewelry.

But investigators say she did not work alone. A man named Daniel Myers is also charged with the burglary, they said.

The dog was in a cage when the burglary happened, investigators said.

"The homeowner puts the animal in the cage at night when they go to work," says Sgt. Kirk Mays with the Whitley County Sheriff's Office. "The animal was actually in the cage when it was shot. I'm assuming it's because the dog was barking, drawing attention, so they tried to shut it up."

The dog survived the gunshot wound.

"The homeowner had said her dog had gotten beaten up, that was in the cage," Sgt. Mays said. "They took the dog later on to the vet to have it checked out about midnight that night. Come to find out, the dog had actually been shot with a .380 pistol."

That pistol was one of the homeowner's guns that the suspects stole, investigators said.

The suspects were tracked down in Jellico, Tenn. trying to steal a car, Sgt. Mays said. There investigators recovered the stolen items.

After facing previous charges in Tennessee, Baird was arrested on the Whitley Co. burglary and animal cruelty charges on New Year's Day. She is being held at the Whitley County Detention Center.

Myers will answer to outstanding charges in Tennessee before being extradited back to Kentucky.

(WKYT-Jan 2, 2015)