Former city employee facing felony charge

A former Clarendon animal control officer was jailed Monday on a charge of Cruelty to Animals after a puppy was reportedly killed by her last week.

Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said 29-year-old Alexandra Armbrust turned herself in July 29 after a warrant for her arrest was issued that morning.

Armbrust was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Sarah Hatley with bond set at $10,000 for the third-degree felony. She was released on bond Monday.

Blackburn said according to his office’s investigation, the puppy was picked up last week by Armbrust and given to a local family. The sheriff said the puppy’s owners went to City Hall on July 25 and paid a fee to get their pet back. At that time, Armbrust allegedly returned to the family to whom she had given the puppy, shot the animal in the head, put it in a trash bag, and returned to City Hall to give it to the owners.

The sheriff said the family who had received the puppy from Armbrust also arrived at City Hall to report what had happened, and a sheriff’s deputy had to be called to calm the situation. The sheriff’s office began taking statements that day and continued the next day.

City Administrator Brian Barboza said Armbrust was fired Friday afternoon, July 26, following the incident on Thursday. He says the puppy, described on social media posts as a four-month-old chihuahua, was picked up July 23 and a picture of it was placed on the front of City Hall in accordance with city policy.

Barboza said he believed originally the dog had been put down Thursday morning because Armbrust had asked him that morning if it was okay to put down a dog because she wasn’t going to have time to take it to Pampa to be euthanized. But when the owners arrived at City Hall Thursday afternoon, he said Armbrust told different stories about whether the dog’s remains were in Pampa or Memphis.

When Armbrust was sent to get the dog, sometime before 2:30, Barboza said she apparently went to the home she had given the puppy to, shot it, and returned to City Hall. He said the family followed Armbrust back to City Hall and said she had shot the dog in front of their kids.

Barboza tells the Enterprise that city rules require a dog without identification to be held for three days before it can be euthanized on the fourth day.

“Her actions do not reflect was this city is about,” Barboza said.
Armbrust went to work for the city in mid-April and had just completed her basic animal control training and was scheduled to take euthanasia training this week.

Blackburn said the charge against Armbrust has a penalty of two to ten years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine.