BIG PINE KEY, Fla. (WSVN) – A 72-year-old woman was arrested for intentionally strangling a dog in the Florida Keys, according to authorities.

Delaine Abee Lowry was charged with animal cruelty after deputies responded to a report on Palmetto Drive in Big Pine Key around 3:30 Monday afternoon.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, a neighbor told authorities that Lowry wanted to bury a dead 6- to 10-month-old mini schnauzer puppy in his yard but was denied.

A short time later, deputies reportedly found Lowry at his home, and Lowry reportedly admitted to strangling the dog, claiming it was going to hurt him.

The puppy’s body was found in a plastic shopping bag on Lowry’s property, and a container filled with water surrounded by wet soil was also found nearby, MCSO said.

The Florida Keys SPCA has been notified and an autopsy is pending.

Lowry was arrested and jailed.

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