Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested 41-year-old woman for animal cruelty, after deputies discovered a dog with a severe neck injury in a trash bin at an apartment complex in Carmichael late Tuesday night and fear she may have committed other such acts in Sacramento County previously.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call just before 9 p.m. Wednesday at the 4000 block of Manzanita Avenue in Carmichael. The caller reported finding a dog in a garbage can with something tied around its neck and a laceration under its throat. Despite the injury, the dog was still alive.
Upon arrival, deputies contacted Sacramento County Animal Control, which took the injured dog for medical care and also took custody of another dog belonging to the suspect.
Investigators identified the dog’s owner as Danielle Killian, who lived alone in the complex with two dogs and a cat. Killian was detained at her apartment.
According to detectives, Killian admitted to slashing the dog’s throat on October 14 because she believed it would be easier to care for just one dog. She reportedly placed the injured dog in a shopping bag and discarded it in the trash bin the following day.
A search warrant executed at Killian’s apartment led to the discovery of the knife believed to have been used in the attack. Killian was arrested and taken to the Sacramento County Main Jail but was later released on her own recognizance by the court.
Detectives have not located Killian’s cat and are concerned that other animals she may have owned in the past could have been subjected to abuse.
Killian told investigators she had moved frequently, as often as once a year, raising concerns about potential other incidents of animal cruelty.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about this case or other potential incidents involving Killian to contact them at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).
