Texas man suspected of stomping his 'small brown puppy' to death in a dumpster

Joel Shannon | USA TODAY

Texas police have charged a man with animal cruelty, alleging he stomped a "small brown puppy" to death in a dumpster on Friday.

The dog is believed to belong to the suspect or his family, DeSoto, Texas police Sergeant David Williams said.

Police received a report Friday that a man was in a dumpster behind a strip mall and appeared to be kicking or stomping something.

When police arrived, they found a deceased puppy in the dumpster with "severe wounds to its head."

Paige Armani Franklin was arrested for cruelty to animals and transported to jail, police said in a release.

Franklin is 24 and the alleged crime happened behind a Subway restaurant, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Police say the incident was reported by a person who worked for a security company and who was monitoring a security camera positioned near the dumpster.

The deceased puppy was taken to an animal hospital for an autopsy, police say.

"Cruelty of this type is not only criminal but despicable," the release says.