A 23-year-old Stuart woman stabbed and killed her dog, according to an arrest affidavit.

Cassandra Danielle Lauderdale of the 1700 block of Southeast Salerno Road was charged with cruelty to animals and was being held at the Martin County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail.

(Photo of Cassandra Lauderdale courtesy of WPBF)

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office was called about the incident at Lauderdale’s home. Deputies found several people inside, including Lauderdale, who appeared agitated. The people at the home told deputies she had taken the dog into the bathroom and stabbed it in the bathtub, the arrest affidavit said. They told the deputies they heard the dog’s yelps during the attack.

“She uttered that she had the right to kill the dog and it was no one’s business,” Deputy Vance Irick wrote in his report.

Lauderdale took Irick to the backyard, where he said he found the dog dead from several deep stab wounds to the neck. Deputies found blood in the bathroom, with bloody clothes and towels strewn across the place and a bloody knife in the sink.

The report did not indicate what may have led to the attack on the dog.

Update 9/28/09:  Authorities have arrested a woman accused of stabbing her dog to death in a bathtub at her Stuart home.

Lauderdale was arrested on an animal cruelty charge resulting in death.

Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the home after witnesses reported that Lauderdale was in the bathroom with a knife and had just killed her dog.

According to an arrest affidavit, when deputies arrived and asked where her dog was, Lauderdale replied, "I killed the b----." Lauderdale also said she had the right to kill the dog and it was nobody else's business.

One witness told deputies he saw Lauderdale drag the dead dog out of the bathroom and heard her say she buried the body. Another witness said he saw her drag the yelping dog into the bathroom and that she changed her clothes before deputies arrived.

Deputies said they searched the bathroom and found a bloody knife in the sink, bloody towels and bloody clothes strewn about the room. A dog collar and leash were also found.

Lauderdale's roommate, Crystal Morris, said the Catahoula breed named Dolly was "raised as an attack dog to go after hogs."

Morris said she and Lauderdale were partying with a few friends when Lauderdale attempted to wash the dog.  "The dog whipped around when she was trying to give it a bath and it tried to bite her," Morris said. "And so she killed it."

Morris said Dolly had tried to bite Lauderdale before.  "This particular dog, no, it's not the first time," Morris said. "But she's also had another dog bite her before and we had that one put down, but the Humane Society did it, and this time she didn't want to wait for the Humane Society to come get it, so she did it herself."

Animal care and control officers took Dolly's remains.

Deputies said they also seized a rifle and shotgun from Lauderdale's room.

Reference:

WPBF

The Stuart News