Woman given probation for beating attack with dead Chihuahua puppy

ST. LOUIS -- A woman found guilty of beating a dog breeder over the head with a dead Chihuahua puppy was sentenced to probation and ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Lisa Lynn Hopfer, 34, of Wentzville, had faced up to 18 months in jail after St. Charles County Associate Circuit Court Judge Terry Cundiff found her guilty on Sept. 6 of misdemeanor assault and trespassing in the June attack.

Cundiff gave her a 30-day suspended jail sentence, ordered her to get the evaluation and undergo any treatment recommended. He also ordered her to stay away from the breeder, Linda Hulsey, 33, who has since moved from St. Peters to Alabama.

Cundiff said he decided against imprisonment after reviewing Hopfer's medical records, saying that she "is not a candidate for jail." Hopfer, who has used oxygen in a portable tank during her court appearances, refused to comment on her medical condition and details of her condition were not released by the court.

Hopfer represented herself in the case. She said it was unfair that Cundiff wouldn't let her present X-rays of the dead dog and letters from two veterinarians that she said showed she couldn't have used the dog as a weapon. The judge said she hadn't provided witnesses to testify about the evidence.

During the trial, Hopfer testified that she took the Chihuahua, which she named Chloe, to a veterinarian a few days after buying it from Hulsey. The veterinarian told her it was only 4 weeks old and needed to be returned to its mother, but the dog died that night.

Hulsey said the dog was 6 weeks old. She said that Hopfer came to her home early in the morning of June 7, said "Look what you did!" and hit her 30 times on the head with a plastic bag containing the dead dog.

In a victim's impact statement, Hulsey said the attack had changed her life.

"Even in my new home, I don't sleep as soundly as I used to," she wrote. "I am always in fear for the safety of my family."

Hopfer still faces charges of filing a false police report. Police said she told them the day after her assault on Hulsey that she had been attacked in connection with the case but later admitted making it up. A hearing on that case is scheduled for Oct. 5.