New trial to begin for Harrisonville woman accused of shooting dog last year

A new trial will begin in November for a Harrisonville woman charged with animal cruelty after allegedly fatally shooting a dog last year.

Amory R. Hilliard, 32, allegedly shot and killed the dog in Belton, Missouri, June 13, 2023, according to court records. She was also charged with a weapons violation.

The alleged shooting took place at 9:56 p.m. outside a home on Chestnut St. in Belton, 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 pled not guilty to the animal-cruelty and weapons charges, court records show. However, after failing to appear in court multiple times since June 2023, Hilliard was arrested on June 11, 2024 in connection with the incident, according to Belton police records.

She was re-charged with animal abuse, as well as with illegally carrying a concealed weapon, and spent three days in jail starting on September 17, according to court records.

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

Hilliard will appear in Cass County court on November 21 at 9 a.m. for the first hearing associated with her new trial.

The Animal Cruelty Task Force of Missouri receives more than 20,000 reports of animal abuse or cruelty per year. In 2023, seven of these reports escalated to animal-cruelty cases with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office, according to KC Pet Project.