A Georgia man who was once a standout college athlete is behind bars this week without bond after decapitating a dog on his front porch — and now, the dog’s devastated owner is demanding justice.
Atlanta woman Precious Cody said her dog, Bambi, went missing in late 2024 after she was detained for a week for failing to appear in court for a hearing. Neighbors told her after she was released, a man had grabbed her dog off the street. He allegedly said he knew the dog’s owner and would be caring for it while she wasn’t home.
The little white dog was microchipped, and Cody said she had hoped the man would bring the dog to a veterinarian.
Instead, Georgia rapper Jalen Wade held onto the dog, and last week, killed the animal on his porch. Police allege he shared pictures of the beheaded dog on social media, prompting calls to 911. Officers were sent to his home, where a standoff continued for several hours.
Wade, 30, was eventually handcuffed on February 11 and taken from the home. Police have since charged him with aggravated animal cruelty, felony obstruction, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
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Cody’s dog’s head, police said, was found in a bowl on the porch, alongside a machete.
Wade is an aspiring rapper who goes by the stage name “Lil Drip.” He graduated from Georgia State University, where he played football, according to 11Alive. It was unclear if he had been asked to enter pleas to the charges, and information about his lawyer was not immediately available.
Cody told 11Alive she started breaking down in tears when she learned from animal services her dog had been killed.
“It’s sad to see it, because my dog was not vicious,” Cody told the station through tears. “She was not vicious at all. If he couldn’t take care of her, he could’ve just taken her to animal control. It hurts my heart … and it’s crazy because I was looking for her. She’s not vicious. She’s a sweet dog. All she wanted to do was cuddle and get in bed with me and my son. I let her do that because she’s not vicious. She’s a sweet dog and that’s the reason why I adopted her.”
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Police have not discussed a possible motive for Wade’s actions, but Cody told the station someone at animal control mentioned the word “voodoo” when they spoke.
“I don’t know why you would do voodoo on a dog,” she said, adding she never once met Wade. “Bambi was like my child.”
She will be meeting with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office to make sure Wade is held accountable. “All I want is justice for my dog,” she said.
If you know of or suspect animal abuse or neglect, you are urged to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through their website or call your local animal control officer.
