The mayor of Alice, Texas agreed to take care of her next-door neighbors’ sick Shih Tzu -- a very nice thing to do.

A little later, when her neighbors got back to town, she told them that the dog, named Puddles, had died, which was not a very nice thing to do, especially considering the dog was still alive.

Grace Saenz-Lopez, who resigned as mayor amid the controversy, now stands accused of tampering with evidence and fabricating a police report saying the dog was missing -- when actually it was living under a new name, Panchito, 14 miles away at the home of her twin sister, Graciela Garcia.

The felony charges -- sister Graciela is accused of concealing evidence -- could put the 64-year-old twins behind bars for as long as 10 years.

The dog's original owners, Rudy Gutierrez and Shelly Cavasos, have demanded its return, and a hearing is scheduled for April 24. Until then, a judge has ruled, the dog will stay with the sisters.

Mr. Gutierrez, 39, a handyman, says his children are heartbroken; the ex-mayor says the dognapping was, in effect, a rescue: the dog was flea-infested and poorly cared for, she says.

To read the full tale, as recounted by the New York Times, click here.

(AP Photo)