A Houston attorney is facing a state jail felony bestiality charge after his wife reviewed security footage she had installed in their home and took what she found to the authorities. Steven Tyler Swain, 56, is the principal of The Swain Law Firm and has practiced in Houston since 1997, specializing in wills, trusts, and probate. The State Bar of Texas lists him as eligible to practice with no public disciplinary history.
His wife had put cameras up inside their home on Providence Park in the Memorial area of West Houston while contractor work was going on. According to court documents, the footage she reviewed was recorded in November 2025 and showed her husband and the family dog, a small black dog named Shipley. She told investigators she was 100 percent certain the man in the video was her husband and 100 percent certain the dog was Shipley. Fox 26 Houston, which reviewed the filing, said the court documents contained very graphic details and declined to publish them.
She removed the dog from the house immediately and contacted the Houston SPCA, giving the organization the footage. The SPCA brought it to Harris County Precinct 1 investigators, and that is how it became a criminal case. Prosecutors filed the charge after reviewing the video. Court records indicate Shipley is safe and remains in her care, and investigators have not publicly alleged the dog suffered physical injuries.
A warrant was issued in May. Swain turned himself in and was released on bond. Reported bond figures have varied across outlets. His case is pending in the 183rd District Court. Texas made bestiality a state jail felony in 2017. Before that, prosecutors had to reach for animal cruelty statutes that did not cleanly fit. A state jail felony in Texas carries a range of 180 days to two years and a fine of up to $10,000
Swain has not been convicted of anything. He is presumed innocent, and no public statement from an attorney representing him has appeared in court records. The case first drew attention in May, in part after tennis legend Martina Navratilova shared it on social media. It has resurfaced online this week, driven largely by the contrast between the allegation and the professional image of a man who spent nearly three decades handling families’ estates and end-of-life planning.
A criminal conviction is not the only thing at stake for him. The State Bar of Texas can open its own proceeding based on a pending case, which could affect his license independently of what happens in the 183rd.
