Tamesha Knighten, a 51-year-old Lakeland nurse, was charged with animal cruelty and depositing poison in a public area.
A Lakeland, Florida, woman has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after deputies said she allegedly used a « special seasoning » to poison her neighbor’s two cats and pregnant dog because she did not want them coming into her yard.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said that two cats, named Luna and Pancake, were found on Aug. 13, 2023, foaming at the mouth, choking and in « significant pain. » The cats later died just a few hours apart from each other. Their owners then found their pregnant Chihuahua, Daisy, dead four hours later. The eight puppies in her womb also died.
Pet Owners Said The Woman Previously Threatened to Poison The Pets if They Came into Her Yard
The pets’ owners told deputies that their neighbor, 51-year-old Tamesha Knighten, had previously threatened to poison their animals if they came into her yard. On the day that their pets died, they claimed they saw Knighten pacing by their shared fence, as reported by WFLA.
