Dexter the Kitten's Killer Sentenced on Felony Animal Cruelty Charges

Animal lovers will remember the story about little Dexter, the adorable black and white kitten who stole the hearts of so many folks around the world. Both Dexter the kitten and his litter brother, both six weeks old, were horrendously beaten and tortured with a metal bat at the hands of Brooksville, Florida resident Wilana Frazier. Adding to this gruesome cruelty, Frazier encouraged her five and eight year old boys to join her in the attack on the tiny kittens, while her children played in the Hill 'n Dale park in Brooksville.

One of the kittens did not survive the attack and died at the scene. Dexter was rescued by a boy who witnessed the abuse and the seriously injured kitten was ultimately placed at the PetLuv Spay & Neuter Clinic.

After receiving several weeks of excellent and loving care by clinic staff, Dexter recovered sufficiently to be adopted by one of the clinic veterinary technicians who had been fostering him. At the time it seemed likely that Dexter would recover.

Those of us who had been closely following the updates posted on the Pet Luv Spay & Neuter Clinic Facebook page were overjoyed by his slow and steady progress. But two months later, when we heard that Dexter the kitten's condition had taken a grave turn for the worse with uncontrollable seizures caused by the trauma to his brain, we grieved when Dexter was compassionately set free from his suffering.

Frazier was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. On June 12, 2012 she was convicted on the felony animal cruelty charge, but even though she instigated her children to participate in torturing the kittens, she was found guilty on only one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The children who witnessed the kittens’ beating and torture testified at the trial.

On Thursday, July 26, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, 25 year-old Frazier was sentenced to one year in jail by Circuit Judge Daniel Merritt, Jr.  Judge Merritt called the crime "abhorrent" and "deserving of punishment."

Following her release from jail, Frazier will serve a five-year period of probation, agree to a mental health evaluation, successfully complete 100 hours of community service, pay restitution of $867 to PetLuv Spay&Neuter Clinic for the care Dexter received, enroll in anger management counseling and will not be permitted to own any pets for the duration of her probation period.

Does the punishment fit the crime in this case of cruelty to animals? Tell us what you think in a comment.