Dallas man, Skyler Leviathan Sullivan charged with animal cruelty after drowning pet cat after scratching his tattoo while taking bath- blames PTSD.
A Texas man arrested last month after allegedly drowning his cat has blamed PTSD in the feline’s death.
The incident follows, Skyler Leviathan Sullivan, 25, calling 311 in mid January, telling dispatchers his cat had clawed his tattoo while taking a bath at his Dallas home, according to an arrest warrant affidavit, cited by The Dallas Morning News.
Sullivan said he lost his temper and ‘accidentally tried to drown’ the cat, which he blamed on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It remained unclear if Sullivan had ever served in the military.
Sullivan according to the affidavit told responding officers he had tried to revive the cat. The officers took him to Parkland Memorial Hospital for mental-health treatment. A veterinarian later determined that the cat had not drowned accidentally.
When pressed, Sullivan acknowledged the PTSD claim was a ‘flimsy excuse’, according to the affidavit.
‘I can’t just keep using my PTSD as an excuse to hurt an animal,’ Sullivan said.
Sullivan was arrested on April 25 and booked into the Dallas County jail on one count of cruelty to non livestock animals. The cat owner was released Wednesday after posting a $5,000 bond.
Sullivan is not allowed to have any pets, per the conditions of his bond.
