Teen kills grandma’s Shih Tzu, hides its body parts around the house, Memphis cops say

An 18-year-old Tennessee woman has been charged with intentional animal cruelty after she allegedly cut up her grandmother’s Shih Tzu and hid pieces of the pet in the house, including putting its head in a dresser drawer, WATN reports.

Memphis police arrested Kyoko Smith Friday and said the crime scene revealed the dog’s heart was stashed in a freezer, according to WREG.

Smith admitted to police she killed the dog on Nov. 11 – before removing its head and heart – but has yet to say why she did it, the station said. It wasn’t revealed how the dog was killed.

Investigators say they learned of the incident after “someone received pictures of the dead dog from Smith,” reported Fox13Memphis. WATN says the photos were sent to other family members.

A neighbor on the street told WMC that she became suspicious of the teen after finding her “looking over their fence late one night, staring at their dog.”

“I asked her, ‘hey, what are you doing?’ She said, ‘oh your dog is cold, your dog is cold.’ That’s the only thing she’d say,” the neighbor said, according to WMC.

Shih Tzu is a small breed that is typically between 9 and 16 pounds and “known to be especially affectionate with children,” according to the American Kennel Club.

“Being cute is a way of life for this lively charmer,” the kennel club says of the breed. “A Shih Tzu’s idea of fun is sitting in your lap acting adorable as you try to watch TV.”