New trial for Harrisonville woman accused of shooting dog last year

A new trial begins in November for a Harrisonville woman charged with animal cruelty after she allegedly fatally shot a dog last year.

According to court documents, Amory R. Hilliard, 32, shot the dog on June 13, 2023, in Belton, Missouri. She was also charged with a weapons violation.

The alleged shooting occurred outside a home on Chestnut St. in Belton at 9:56 p.m., according to court records.

It is unknown what motivated the shooting or whether the dog belonged to Hilliard. However, the shooting did not take place at her home, court records show.

Hilliard previously pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and weapons charges, court records show. However, after failing to appear in court several times since June 2023, Hilliard was arrested on June 11, 2024 in connection with the incident, according to Belton police records.

She was again charged with animal abuse and illegally carrying a concealed weapon and spent three days in jail starting Sept. 17, according to court records.

According to court records, Hilliard was previously charged with drug trafficking in June 2023. She also appeared in court in April on drug possession charges, according to Belton police records.

Hilliard will appear in Cass County Court at 9 a.m. Nov. 21 for the initial hearing related to her new trial.

The Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force receives more than 20,000 reports of animal abuse or cruelty each year. According to the KC Pet Project, in 2023, seven of those reports to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office escalated into animal cruelty cases.