Florida man poisoned girlfriend's cat with amphetamines causing it 'considerable pain and suffering'
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida man has been arrested and charged after police said he poisoned his girlfriend's cat with amphetamines, causing the feline "considerable pain."
Frank Jesse, 45, was brought to the attention of authorities following a series of incidents on Saturday, December 28, when his girlfriend noticed that her cat, Oliver, was acting strangely and walking in circles, according to WFTV.
Concerned, she checked Jesse's phone and found text messages he had sent to one of his friends where he said he would poison the cat. When she checked his Google search history, her fears were confirmed: he had looked for how one could kill a cat with amphetamines.
"According to witnesses, it was walking in circles, its pupils were dilated and it obviously caused this cat a considerable amount of pain and suffering," said Bob Kealing, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
She called 9-1-1 to report him to the police, telling the dispatcher, "I read through his phone that he poisoned my cat," and adding that the 45-year-old had been drinking all night.
An arrest report also stated that when the woman confronted Jesse about the messages and her cat's bizarre behavior, they got into a physical altercation.
Oliver was rushed to a nearby emergency vet, according to WESH, and was found to have tested positive for amphetamines like the victim alleged. "The vet takes it a step further and says we don't have any medications that we give to cats that would come back as a test result like this," Kealing said.
"When you cause this degree of suffering, in the animal, it rises to the level of a felony," he added. "This is a third-degree felony and if convicted, he could spend up to five years in prison as a result. This is a very serious charge, this is something we won’t tolerate."
Jesse has been charged with domestic violence and animal cruelty in connection to the case. His phone was confiscated as evidence and he is currently being held in jail on an $11,000 bond.