In Memory of Dexter the Kitten

I write this article in memory of Dexter the kitten, who in his short life became an inspiration for survival and hope.

For those of you who haven't heard of Dexter the kitten, I'd like to begin by telling of the horrors this kitten survived at the hands of a woman and her two children.

On June 8, 2011, Wilana Joenel Frazier of Brooksville was witnessed abusing two eight week old kittens by at least four children at Hill n' Dale park in Brooksville, Florida. Frazier along with her 8 year old and 5 year old sons were seen beating and torturing the two kittens using an aluminum baseball bat. A black kitten was tossed into a garbage can after being beaten and kicked and water poured on top of it by one of the children after it was killed. The surviving kitten had a neck injury where one of the children attempted to slit it's throat using a sharp stick.

It was then a 10 year old boy who had witnessed the violence rescued the remaining kitten and took it to safety. Sarah Murphy, mother of the young rescuer, called 9-1-1 and a Hernando County Animal Care Services worker arrived and took the unresponsive kitten to PetLuv Nonprofit Spay and Neuter Clinic in Brooksville, Florida for emergency treatment.

Frazier denies the whole thing and has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She has a prior arrest record from 2007 where she was charges with resisting a police officer without violence. She has bailed out of jail after being held on $3500 bond.

One report from late June stated she still had custody of the two children. Frazier's dream is to become a nurse. Her family and friends describe her as quiet and always willing to help others. They can't imagine her torturing and killing two kittens.

As for the surviving kitten, little Dexter immediately won the hearts of the staff at PetLuv as well as cat lovers world wide. Tiffany Sroka, a staff member at PetLuv for the past four years, has taken Dexter under her loving hand. He is cared for at the clinic by day and Tiffany takes him home at night.

Dexter went from being a near fatally abused kitten to a bundle of purring love who squeaked instead of meowed. He went from a feeding tube and a wobbly body to a kitten who learned to play and trust.

After receiving laser treatments along with other excellent veterinary care at PetLuv, Dexter was adopted by his caregiver Tiffany. He would finally have the forever home he deserved.

Sadly, Dexter began having nonstop seizures last month and on August 15 the decision was made to humanely euthanize him. He had come so far in his recovery . His death has put cat lovers everywhere in mourning over the little guy.

This article troubles me deeply as I personally feel Frazier will get away with murder. She says she's innocent and has family and friends willing to stand up for her in court. That alone may put the tiniest bit of doubt into whoever is judging her case. And that doubt is what can get her off free and clear.

I wrote this story on the heels of two other abuse cases. Here's the link to that article. https://pictures-of-cats.org/man-gets-probation-for-killing-kitten.html. These two men were both guilty. Everyone knew they were guilty and they didn't deny it. And they only got probation for murdering defenseless kittens.

How can we hope for a more severe sentence for someone proclaiming their innocence than for someone who was definitely guilty. Unfortunately, it's my prediction Wilana Frazier will go unpunished.

In memory of Dexter the kitten, I certainly hope some justice will come out of this. Little Dexter, you will be missed. In your short time on this earth you were loved at the end. I hope if there is Karma, your killer will be punished one way or another. No kitten should have to die at four months of age. In those four months, you left your legacy to all of the cat lover's around the world who followed your ordeal and then your progress.

See you at the Bridge, little one!

In closing, I'd love to hear how the readers at picture-of-cats.org think the verdict in this case will be. Frazier's first court date took place on September 2. Her next court date is scheduled for September 27th. For those of you who would like to express outrage at this case, the State Attorney Office phone number is (352) 754-4255.

Elisa

References:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/
http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com
http://www2.hernandotoday.com/
http://www.lifewithcats.tv
http://www.moggies.co.uk/articles/aug2011/dexter.html