A woman in New York state has been charged with animal cruelty after she allegedly killed a pet fish by pouring floor cleaner into its tank during an argument with her partner, according to police.
Oneida County police said they were called to a domestic dispute on South James Street in the city of Rome on Friday.
According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), Amy Tennant, 43, got into an argument with her partner. Police later said the domestic dispute was over the couple’s pet fish.
In a Friday Facebook post, seen by Newsweek, an OCSO spokesperson said: “The sheriff’s office was investigating a reported domestic incident.
“During the deputies’ investigation, it was determined Amy Tennant, 43, of Rome got into a verbal domestic with the victim.
“From the victim, the domestic incident was over the couple’s pet fish. During the argument Amy became very upset and intentionally poured floor cleaner into the fish tank, killing the fish it contained.
Tennant has since been arrested and charged with one count of animal cruelty.
New York state’s anti-cruelty provisions define “animal” as every living creature that is not human, according to Michigan State University’s Animal Legal and Historical Center.
It added: “A person who overdrives, overloads, tortures or cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, maims, mutilates or kills any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, food or drink, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both.”
Exclusions to the law include “properly conducted scientific tests, experiments and investigations” involving live animals.
An OCSO spokesperson told Newsweek: “Amy Tennant was charged with criminal mischief 4th, as an additional charge. No other people were charged with any crime.”
The alleged animal cruelty case comes days after a Georgia man was charged after he allegedly stomped on his wife’s dog which had to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries.
Columbus resident Charles Van Pelt, 26, stands accused of trapping his wife’s beloved dachshund, Penny, in its pen and stomping on it after driving her to work on January 5, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
Following the attack, the dog suffered seizures, brain damage and serious head trauma. A veterinarian later euthanized Penny because the dog’s injuries were so severe.
Despite the attack having taken place in January, Van Pelt was not arrested until the following month after a neighbor obtained surveillance video of the attack and alerted authorities.
Van Pelt has since been charged with aggravated animal cruelty—a felony offense that carries a minimum penalty of a year in jail under Georgia law.
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Update 2/16/22, 8:47 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.