Man arrested for allegedly drowning puppies in a creek

A man from Oklahoma was arrested after law enforcement authorities say he admitted to drowning a litter of puppies in a creek.

32-year-old Denver K. Cooper of Grove faces one felony count of cruelty to animals.

He allegedly drowned the four puppies that were found dead in a box by a married couple walking near Cave Springs Branch Creek in September of 2020.

A full year went by before Cooper was arrested last October. He was released two days later after posting bond of $10,000, according to court records.

Cooper’s attorney told the court that he plans to file a motion in an effort to have the case transferred from Delaware County District Court to the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt ruling.

The attorney reportedly contended that Cooper is a citizen of the Cherokee Tribe and that the alleged wrongdoing occurred on land inside the Cherokee Nation Reservation.