Abusing stray cats and dogs is a criminal offense

The case stems from an animal cruelty investigation against Alonzo Kyles. Kyles, who is afraid of cats, poured bleach down the basement stairwell of his Cleveland home to get an eight-month-old kitten to leave. When Cleveland police arrived, they found the cat had red and swollen paws from exposure to the bleach.

Kyles was convicted of a fifth-degree felony charge of abuse of a domestic animal and sentenced to nine months in prison. His attorneys appealed, saying Kyles should instead face a misdemeanor because the cat wasn't a pet.

Ohio law increases penalties for cruelty to pets, defined as “any animal kept in a dwelling, and any dog ​​or cat, regardless of where kept.” The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the kitten was ineligible because the cat was not “kept” or cared for.