Cat beaten-euthanized, another cat injured Knoxville, TN (US)Incident Date: Friday, Dec 2, 2011 County: Knox
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Matthew Weaver,
A Knoxville man was arrested and charged with inflicting such severe injuries to a cat that the animal had to be euthanized, according to the Knox County Sheriff's Office.
According to a news release, Matthew Weaver, 25, of Woodlands West Apartments, was arrested Friday and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.
The Sheriff's Office said Weaver's wife, Ashley Weaver, filed a report Friday morning with the family crisis unit, stating that she and her husband argued Tuesday night in their residence. The woman told deputies she left and stayed at her father's house until Thursday.
Ashley Weaver reported she returned to her apartment about 10:30 p.m. that night and noticed holes in a bedroom door. She began looking for her cats. She found one in the litter box, unconscious and with blood all over it, and immediately took it to a vet for treatment, the Sheriff's Office said.
According to authorities, the vet determined the cat was so badly hurt that it should be put down. On Friday morning, after filing the report with the KCSO, two other animals in the residence were removed by Knox County Sheriff's Animal Control and taken to Young-Williams Animal Shelter, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Deputies reported that a cat is receiving treatment for injuries and a dog was uninjured. They will remain at the shelter until the investigation is complete.
The Sheriff's Office said Weaver did not physically abuse his wife, who is pregnant. He was taken into custody Friday without incident at his residence.
He was free on a $7,500 bond, Knox County jail personnel said. References |