Reese Witherspoon's stepmum arrested over alleged dog abuse

We now know how Reese Witherspoon feels about women disrespecting other women (Shame on them!) but what about a family member being accused of cruelty to dogs?

RadarOnline reports that the star's stepmum Patricia Witherspoon, 62, who married Reese's dad John in 2012, was arrested for allegedly mistreating her two pets. Police in Murfeesboro, Tennessee, charged her with animal neglect and abandonment.

The dog drama began in April, but details are only now emerging.

According to court documents, Patricia left her shih tzu/poodle mix, called Chloe Bell outside on a 27-degree day. The dog had a "large hard clump of hair matting" on her back and "no waterproof shelter".

Patricia also tied her other dog, Rocko, to a neighbour's tree and left him there.

"She explained that the neighbours gave her the animal," the court documents claimed. "She stated she kept it for a while and then no longer wanted him so she tied it to their tree and informed them she was giving it back."

Both dogs were taken by the animal-care agency PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) and Patricia was arrested after failing to check in on them.

Chloe Bell was eventually returned to her owner, and according to PAWS, is now "doing well for her age". As for Patricia, a judge ruled that she must report to PAWS once a month for a year to prove her "good and lawful conduct".

Bet animal lover Reese and Patricia won’t be having any pet-bonding moments anytime soon.