Madeline Buckley

madeline.buckley@indystar.com

A former Animal Care and Control officer was trying to illegally crop the ears of a puppy, when it threw up, choked on its vomit while the muzzle on its mouth was taped shut and died, a probable cause affidavit alleges.

Ashley Chastain, a commander with animal control at the time, then buried the body of the 2-month-old puppy in her backyard, the affidavit says.

Marion County prosecutors on Wednesday charged Chastain with three counts of torturing an animal, a felony.

The affidavit alleges that Chastain illegally cropped the ears of multiple dogs, shooting them with Ketamine, which would immobilize the dogs, though they would still feel pain from the procedure.

Ear cropping is an elective surgery sometimes performed by veterinarians on puppies to shorten their ears, though the procedure is considered controversial and is banned in some countries.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives began investigating when a man Chastain knows reported the ear cropping to authorities, the affidavit says.

The man presented police with photographs that showed a dog with recently cropped ears lying on a "bloody urine pad" on a washer or dryer in Chastain's home, the affidavit says. The man told police Chastain stole the Ketamine, which is sometimes used as a tranquilizer, from animal control.

He also gave them a bag of evidence, which contained amputated dog ears.

Call IndyStar reporter Madeline Buckley at (317) 444-6083. Follow her on Twitter: @Mabuckley88.