GREELEY, Colo. - A woman who fed prescription drugs to her ill dog and then shot it with a handgun -- in order to avoid taking it to the veterinarian -- will not face animal cruelty charges, officials said.
Paula Harding, 33, was arrested last week after shooting the dog to death. Officials say the 15-year-old terrier-poodle mix was terminally ill, and the woman claimed that she couldn't afford to have the animal put to sleep by a veterinarian.
Authorities said that prior to shooting the animal, Harding gave it a dose of the prescription drug alprazolam -- also known as Xanax -- which is used in humans as an anti-anxiety medication.
After drugging the dog, the woman reportedly shot it four times with a .22-caliber pistol. The animal later died from its injuries.
However, authorities said that it's unknown whether the dog was tortured or mutilated, as no autopsy was performed.
Officials do, however, admit that the dog was terminally ill and certainly would have been euthanized by a veterinarian.
