WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of animal cruelty that may be disturbing to some readers.
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock woman has pleaded guilty to 11 federal counts of ‘animal crushing’ after investigators said she recorded herself sexually abusing two dogs, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Animal crushing is a particular type of animal cruelty where an animal “is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
Laura Ann Russell signed a plea agreement admitting to the charges on Sept. 18 and a factual resume filed Sept. 21, describing 11 violations of federal law.
How the investigation started
According to the factual resume, a woman contacted Lubbock Animal Services in February 2025 to report that Russell had engaged in sexual acts with at least two dogs on separate occasions. The woman, identified in court records as the reporting party, told investigators that Russell had described the abuse to her and shown her photographs, including one believed to show Russell having sexual intercourse with a dog.
Lubbock Animal Services contacted the Lubbock Police Department, which opened an investigation and the reporting party provided police with the photograph. Russell’s face was not visible in the image, but court documents state a distinct tattoo on her wrist was visible. The reporting party told police the photo was taken in Russell’s Lubbock apartment.
FBI recovers videos from phone
Russell’s phone was seized while she was traveling through Sevier County, Arkansas, on May 23, 2026. The FBI transferred the phone to its Lubbock office and obtained a federal search warrant.
An FBI agent who reviewed the phone’s contents located videos and images showing Russell sexually abusing two dogs in 11 separate instances, according to court documents. The files were saved under filenames including several beginning with “Snapchat,” which investigators said indicates Russell used the Snapchat platform to create the videos.
Court documents state that in several of the videos, the dogs are seen trying to get away from Russell or showing aggression toward her.
Charges and plea agreement
A federal grand jury indicted Russell on three counts in May 2026: creation of an animal crush video, distribution of an animal crush video and transportation of obscene matter. Prosecutors eventually charged her with 11 counts of animal crushing, to which she pleaded guilty.
Under the plea agreement, each of the 11 counts carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release. The aggregate maximum penalty across all 11 counts includes up to 77 years in prison and fines up to $2,750,000, according to the agreement.
The government agreed to recommend that any federal sentence run concurrently with a related bestiality case pending in the 99th District Court of Lubbock County, Texas.
As part of the agreement, the government will not bring additional charges based on the conduct underlying the plea and will dismiss any remaining charges from the original indictment after sentencing. Russell waived her right to appeal her conviction and sentence, with limited exceptions outlined in the agreement.
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