A Wyoming police chief’s teen daughter has been accused of poisoning her roommate’s dog, eventually leading to the pup’s euthanasia.
Allie Erspamer, 19, is facing one count of felony animal cruelty for allegedly spraying bleach on treats that were fed to her roommate’s dog, a pit bull named Lilly.
Allie’s father, Bill Erspamer, is the police chief of Rock Springs, a midsize town near the southern border of the state.
Lilly’s owner, Hallie Blake, 19, called the police department in April to report that her dog had been poisoned after suffering mysterious seizures for a month.
Hallie’s mother, Shalane Blake, said in an interview with Cowboy State Daily that after Lilly’s seizures, the dog only got sicker and started to collapse and vomit water.
‘We paid thousands of dollars in vet bills trying to get her saved,’ Shalane told the outlet.
Shalane said that the veterinarian eventually asked her if their dog might have been poisoned, which seemed outlandish at the time.
However, Hallie then learned that Allie was allegedly messaging a friend on Snapchat about poisoning, and a search warrant revealed an exchange about spraying bleach on Lilly’s treats.
Hallie Blake, 19, reported a potential poisoning to authorities after her dog had to be euthanized due to kidney failure
Allie Erspamer, 19, faces one count of felony animal cruelty for allegedly poisoning her roommate’s dog, which eventually led to euthanasia
Allie’s father, Bill Erspamer, is the police chief of Rock Springs. Due to his position, the case will be prosecuted by a county attorney from a different district
Allie also allegedly asked Snapchat’s artificial intelligence function if an autopsy on a dog can show antifreeze poisoning and how long it would take for bleach to kill a dog, according to an affidavit obtained by Cowboy State Daily.
Hallie told investigators that Allie ‘expressed distaste’ for her dog shortly after the girls moved in together at the start of the year.
Lilly was a rescue dog and was around one year old when she was euthanized, Hallie told Cowboy State Daily.
Around the same time Lilly began to suffer seizures, she had bitten Allie, according to the affidavit.
Shalane told Cowboy State Daily that the bite didn’t break skin but left a red mark on Allie’s lip.
In April, Hallie decided to euthanize Lilly after receiving the news that she was suffering from kidney failure.
Dr. Margaret White told investigators that the dog’s remains were sent to the State Veterinary Crime Lab for a necropsy report, which is an autopsy for animals.
The report concluded that Lilly had kidney failure from antifreeze poisoning.
Hallie told a local news outlet that she adopted Lilly, a pit bull, last year, and she was only about one year old when she started exhibiting disturbing symptoms
A vet recommended euthanasia after Lilly suffered multiple seizures and began collapsing and vomiting
Allie was charged in October and is out on bond awaiting a preliminary hearing. Due to her father’s position, the case will be prosecuted by Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich rather than by the Sweetwater County Attorney’s Office.
A judge from the Pinedale Circuit Court will review the case instead of a Rock Springs judge to avoid a conflict of interest.
Hallie told Cowboy State Daily that she hopes her former roommate’s father doesn’t receive backlash for the case.
‘One thing I feel strongly about is how much hate her dad is getting,’ Hallie told the outlet.
‘Bill’s always been great to me. And I know Bill’s a good person. I feel bad because he’s getting hate for something he didn’t do.’
Hallie added that she not only lost her dog, but also her friend. She said that Allie waited with her at the vet’s office and allegedly led her to believe she cared about her dog’s survival.
An affidavit revealed that Allie allegedly asked the AI function on Snapchat questions about antifreeze and bleach
Hallie told Cowboy State Daily that the situation ‘broke’ her after losing her dog and friend
‘It was the realization that someone I loved so deeply could do something so cruel, and hide it from me,’ she wrote.
‘It broke me in a way I’ve never experienced.’
Hallie also shared text messages with the publication, including a screenshot from Allie denying she had hurt the dog, which never received a response.
Allie is out on bond awaiting a preliminary hearing set for November 26. She hasn’t yet entered a plea.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Chief Bill Erspamer, Allie’s representation, Hallie Blake, and the prosecuting attorney for comment.
