Law enforcement authorities in Florida have charged a licensed practical nurse with animal cruelty after she allegedly poisoned two cats and a pregnant dog that belonged to her next-door neighbors.
According to what the neighbors reportedly told investigators with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, on more than one occasion, allegedly threatened to poison the pets if they came into her yard, WTTV reported.
If the allegations end up being true, the suspect tragically made good on the threat.
During the incident, which occurred on Aug. 16, the two felines — named Luna and Pancake — died within a short time of each other.
According to WTVT, “The victims said that both cats had the same symptoms, which included choking, unable to breathe, foaming from the mouth, and in obvious significant pain.”
About four hours later, Daisy the Chihuahua passed away, along with eight puppies still in her womb, which makes the alleged animal cruelty perhaps even more abhorrent.
During a news conference following the arrest, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd explained that Tamesha Knighten, 51, “put her ‘special seasoning’ on the chicken strips. They were in the bowl, and then she set them out, and that’s where Daisy, Pancake, and Luna consumed them and ultimately died of poisoning.”
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In video footage obtained by police, Knighten was allegedly seen on her home cameras wearing a rubber glove and carrying a white Styrofoam bowl on the day in question.
A news release issued by Judd’s agency indicated that “The chemical analysis confirmed that the pets had ingested Phorate, a pesticide found in insecticides, which matched the sample from the laced canned chicken in the bowl, and doctors stated that Phorate would have caused the animals to suffer.”
Judd provide some advice for citizens in his jurisdiction in cases where cats or dogs might be allowed to run free and before a situation escalates into intentional harm to pets that are treasured like members of the family.
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