Jury Finds Woman Innocent in Protecting her Dog from a Cop

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Trooper Seth Cook came to the Hupps' house on May 9, 2015, in response to a dispute between a neighbor and Ryan's stepfather. There Cook encountered Buddy, a Labrador-husky mix who was chained outside the house. The dog, whom Hupp describes as "a big baby," ran toward Cook, barking, and Cook backed up. Even though the dog had reached the end of his chain and Cook was not in any danger, he drew his pistol.

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After he heard about the case, Schles contacted Hupp and offered to represent her for free. "I thought it was outrageous, this girl is being charged for standing in her yard doing nothing but saying, 'Don’t shoot my dog,'" he said. According to Photography Is Not a Crime (PINAC), Cook "testified that he was not afraid of the dog, but was following training that required him to kill all dogs that approach him, even if it was chained and wagging its tail as Buddy was doing in this case."

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Hupp told PINAC her case hinged on her husband's video, which they did not have for weeks after the incident because Cook confiscated the phone, which he was unable to access because it was protected by a password. "Without that video, it's just my word against a state trooper," she said. "Nobody is going to believe my word over law enforcement."\

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