Grace Saenz-Lopez, the mayor of Alice, Texas, was asked by neighbours to look after their dog, Puddles, when they went on holiday. The day after the dog owners left, Saenz-Lopez called to say the pet was dead. But Puddles, who Ms Saenz-Lopez had renamed Panchito, was later seen at a dog groomer's and at her sister's home.

A twist in the tail

The dog’s owners Rudy Gutierrez and Shelly Cavazos made a complaint but then the bizarre case took a new twist after Saenz-Lopez also filed a report saying the Shih Tzu was missing. A TV crew found it 10 miles from Alice in Ben Bolt, at the home of Saenz-Lopez's twin, Graciela Garcia. Garcia said a "mysterious lady" had discovered the dog and dropped it off.

On January 18, the mayor was charged with two counts of tampering with physical evidence while her sister was indicted for allegedly concealing evidence. A hearing is due to take place to decide who has custody of the canine, which is currently at the office of Saenz-Lopez's lawyer Homero Canales.

But it seems the ignominy heaped on Ms Saenz-Lopez has been too great for her to remain in office. In her resignation letter, published by the local newspaper the Alice Echo-News Journal, she apologized her actions and for bringing negative exposure to the town.