Arrest heartens anti-animal abuse advocates

As Domingo J. Palafox heard the charges against him read in Lincoln County Justice Court via a video, residents who clamored for his arrest in recent weeks watched from seats in the annex courthouse on Mineral Avenue.

“It was a relief,” said Troy resident Juli Hopfer. “It’s a relief that justice is on its way to being served.”

Authorities charged Palafox with aggravated animal abuse and two counts of tampering with a witness after a months-long investigation into a badly injured Alaskan malamute found in Troy on March 9. The dog, renamed Percy, underwent multiple surgeries, including an ear amputation, and spent a week in the care of a veterinarian, according to court documents.

The case garnered popular local interest after Hopfer, who runs Pet Connection Rescue and Sanctuary, offered to find Percy a new home. Photos of the malamute’s wounds and his gradual recovery featured prominently on local social media accounts and drew outrage and disgust.

Facebook is how Courtney Leighty found out about Percy. After connecting with Hopfer, the two launched their own investigation. Using social media, Leighty said the duo tracked down the most likely suspect in Troy, population 938 as of the 2010 census.

But the pair quickly ran into a problem, she said.

“A lot of people had information, but didn’t want to put their name out there,” Leighty said.

A concurrent investigation by Troy Police Chief Katie Davis also hinged on an individual with information about the abuse stepping forward.

As the weeks passed, Percy’s condition improved. Initially assumed to have suffered from frostbite, those treating the malamute quickly realized someone had doused him in an igniter and set him ablaze. Despite the ordeal, Percy remained trusting and loving, Hopfer said.

She found a new home for the malamute in Canada and continues to post updates on Percy’s new life up north.

But his abuser walked free.

Through the grapevine, Hopfer and others heard of a video documenting the attempted immolation. By early June, they had determined where Percy had come from — likely a breeder in the Yaak — who had owned the dog and the existence of a crucial piece of evidence.

It wasn’t enough.

“It was extremely frustrating,” said Bri Hilyer, a dog owner and the administrator of a popular local social media account. She began aiding Hopfer early on and posted regular updates on Percy’s condition on her Facebook group, which has more than 3,000 members.

“In a small town — it’s obviously rumor mill and you know how all that goes — it’s hard,” she said. “You know that everybody knows [who did it] and the police actually have to have 100 percent the fact of who it is.”

Hoping to ramp up pressure, Hopfer and others began raising money for a reward. They also planned a march in Troy to raise awareness. By the time the group took to the streets, they had raised more than $3,500 for information leading to an arrest.

“I think keeping it out there and getting everybody worked up about it, that helped keep the focus on trying to end this with an arrest,” Leighty said.

The crack in the case came about a week after the march in Troy. According to court documents, Palafox got into a confrontation with the brother of a man who had allegedly seen the video outside of a local gas station June 11. The brothers told investigators that Palafox had come to their home and “said that if anyone snitches on him he had a $10,000 bounty to have them taken care of,” court documents said.

The brother stepped forward after the threat. Police arrested Palafox on June 22.

“I don’t know if vindication was the word,” Hopfer said. “It’s satisfying because it’s the end of a long journey that we’ve been working on.”

Despite frustration with the wait for an arrest, Hopfer and others expressed gratitude toward local law enforcement, particularly Davis, for their effort. Hiyler, who also attended the Justice Court hearing, praised County Attorney Marcia Boris for asking that Palafox’s bail be set at $250,000.

“I was really super proud of her and the judge [and] the way that they handled it,” she said. “It is so disgusting and outrageous to me.”

As Palafox’s case works through the court system, the felony charges mean it will end up in Lincoln County District Court, Leighty and Hopfer hope Percy’s story will raise awareness about animal abuse in the community. They are currently trying to get Percy’s brother removed from Palafox’s home, Hopfer said.

For too long, people have tacitly accepted animal abuse in Lincoln County, Leighty said. She described it as a code of silence — or at least against “snitching.”

“I hope that this arrest will help other people come forward about other animals that are being abused,” she said. “We have so many cases in this county where people are afraid to report it. They don’t want to talk about it or say, ‘it’s their dog and they can do whatever they want.’”

“If you see something, like with child abuse, say something,” Leighty said. “They can’t talk.”