DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines woman accused of animal torture after a dead dog was found tied up in a suitcase at her home last year was sentenced to prison on Monday.
In October 2025, law enforcement officers responded to a report of suspicious activity at a home in the 1900 block of 10th Street in Des Moines. According to court records, during a search of the property, officers discovered a suitcase in a shed. Inside the suitcase, they found a dead dog whose front paws were bound with tape and a cord wrapped around the dog’s neck.
A second dog was also found inside a kennel that had “excessive amounts of feces and urine” at the home, court records state. The dog was taken to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, which assumed ownership.
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On December 10, officers arrested 26-year-old Kyra Johnson in connection with the animal abuse case. She was initially charged with animal torture – first offense, and animal neglect with serious injury or death, both aggravated misdemeanors. In total, Johnson faced a maximum of four years in prison if convicted on these charges and ordered to serve them consecutively, or one after the other…