Trial for woman accused of hitting poodle in animal cruelty case to start Wednesday

SAN ANTONIO – A trial is expected to begin Wednesday for a woman facing an animal cruelty charge after she was caught on video allegedly hitting her puppy multiple times.

Havanna Dejonet Miller, 23, was in court on Monday for a pre-trial hearing.

In a now-viral video, Miller is accused of striking Thanos, her 3-month-old poodle, on a West Side apartment balcony multiple times earlier this year.

WARNING: The video below contains content that may be disturbing. KSAT decided to leave out most of the audio and only show a small clip of the abuse.

In Monday’s pre-trial hearing, the court heard from the veterinarian that examined the 3-month-old poodle after the alleged abuse.

Miller’s attorneys asked the judge to quash the subpoena, requesting the veterinarian not be allowed to testify.

Judge Stephanie Boyd denied the motion to quash a subpoena, clearing the way for the veterinarian to testify.

Jury selection is expected to begin Tuesday for trial to start Wednesday.

Read KSAT’s previous coverage:

• Woman arrested, faces animal cruelty charge after video shows her hitting puppy, ACS says
• ACS provides update on 3-month-old poodle allegedly abused in viral video