East Texas breeder faces federal charges after dog killing video unravels deplorable conditions at facility

HOPKINS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — Months after a video surfaced of an East Texas breeder shooting a dog, a federal investigation revealed deplorable conditions at her unlicensed facility — charges that could send her to prison for up to 20 years.

An indictment delivered from a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on Monday names Kristine Michelle Hicks, 51, of Cumby and charged her with acting as an unlicensed animal dealer and four counts of wire fraud.

Hicks’ appearance in federal court comes after being arrested on Dec. 21, 2025, for a social media video depicting her allegedly shooting at a dog three times and leaving it for dead, spurring an investigation into her breeding facilities.

Following Hicks’ arrest, search warrants executed in Jan. 10 at her dog breeding and sale business, Giant German Shepherds, found 88 German shepherds held in devastating conditions.

“The dogs had lacked adequate shelter from environmental exposure in their pens,” the indictment said. “Their pens, dirt and mud filled, had rusty buckets clipped to fences in a crowded row that were supposed to be the dogs’ source of food. A few had some kibble in the bottom, but many were empty, and water containers had mostly dirty water in them.”

Dogs were found starving, sick and neglected — many had bite wounds, scars or feces caked on their coats and feet.

An approximate total of 131 dogs were held at the property in December 2025, but Hicks had moved some to another location. Various animal care agencies assisted the remaining 88 dogs, 56 of which were surrendered to the SPCA of Texas for emergency intervention.

Additionally, the investigation into Giant German Shepherds found that Hicks has been running the business fraudulently. She advertised dogs as healthy, met certified parentage and were American Kennel Club (AKC) registered though the indictment found that they were not.

Many of the dogs sold were mixed breeds — not the “purebred” promised on Hicks’ website — and had diseases, the indictment said. Hicks also bought litters through Facebook and allegedly created false AKC documents to defraud buyers.

Four people identified as victims of Hicks’ alleged wire fraud were named in the indictment, including a disabled veteran who received an aggressive dog with false paperwork. The dog, which had medical issues, reportedly drew blood from the buyer several times.

The indictment also states that Hicks knowingly violated the Animal Welfare Act by not obtaining a license from the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture before selling or transporting dogs from June 2024 to December 2025.

If convicted, Hicks could face up to 20 years in federal prison for her count of acting as an animal dealer without a license and four counts of wire fraud.