- Florida, USA -
~ Update: March 27, 2023
I am overjoyed to let you know that Mickey is alive and doing well!
His wonderful furmom Larissa tells me that “Mickey’s just celebrated his 2nd birthday.”
Larissa was kind enough to share an update on Mickey’s health.
Mickey “is safe and healthy now, and gaining confidence every day . He’s a very sweet and happy boy and I am so so grateful I’ve still got him . He unfortunately has sustained permanent damage in his rear right hip and will likely develop early onset arthritis in that hip, though he is a very young dog. The vet also sees signs of neuropathy likely related to the numerous head injuries Vetters inflicted. All that said, Mickey will live a long life and has a lot of people looking out for him, he [is] so well loved by my friends and family.”
Larissa also shared a couple of Mickey’s pictures which I have added to the gallery.
I publicly want to thank Larissa and compliment Larissa for the terrific furmom she is. I believe she is the reason why Mickey is still alive!
~ Original story:
State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden announced that on March 8, 2023, Escambia Circuit Court Judge John Simon sentenced 25-years-old ANDREW JOHN VETTERS (pictured), to six years in Florida’s Department of Corrections followed by four years of supervision on two counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty and one count of Trespass.
On December 9, 2022, VETTERS pleaded no contest to the charges.
According to the incident report, on March 29, 2022, Sgt. Eddins with the Escambia County Animal Control and Officer Meeks with the with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an animal abuse complaint. Officers met with Ms. Larissa Lum who told them that her roommate, later identified as VETTERS, had been abusing her dog while she was not home at her residence on 1646 Beachside Drive in Pensacola.
Larissa recounted the devastating events and said that around the week of March 7th and March 14th 2022, she noticed that her furbaby, a 22lb male Cocker Spaniel mix puppy named Mickey, “had very bloodshot eyes, was disinterested in playing or going for walks, and was experiencing chronic diarrhea.”
Larissa told officers that she then took Mickey to both Lost Key Animal Clinic in Pensacola as well as MedVet in Mobile, Alabama.
According to Larissa, the veterinarians who examined Mickey in both clinics saw signs of traumatic injuries but Larissa was adamant that trauma was not possible. She explained that whenever she was gone, Mickey stayed in her room and that Mickey was not allowed to roam free outside.
She went on to say that in the evening of March 21, 2022, “she noticed that Mickey was cowering in his crate and groaning.”
Larissa then felt Mickey’s body to see if he was injured or had a bloated stomach and “felt ‘bubbles’ or ‘pockets of air’ under his skin”.
This, together with the bloodshot eyes, and elevated liver enzymes (shown in an earlier blood test), made Larissa very concerned, and the following day she took Mickey back to Lost Key Animal Clinic.
Meanwhile, the whites of Mickey's eyes were starting to turn yellow and he also had subcutaneous emphysema.
At the clinic, the vet who examined Mickey repeatedly said that Mickey looked like a “trauma dog”. Another blood test was ordered and the results showed that Mickey's liver enzymes were excessively high. Larissa then was told that “she should prepare to say goodbye to Mickey as he may need to be put down to sleep as his liver appeared to be failing.” The veterinarian, however, tried to give Mickey fluids to see if he would get any better.
When on March 22, 2022, Larissa took Mickey to Veterinary Surgery Service in Fort Walton Beach for a liver ultrasound appointment, the vet noticed the subcutaneous emphysema and made the remark: “The only time I've ever seen a dog with this condition is when he has been shaken.”
Larissa then went back home and stayed with Mickey the rest of the week and he appeared to start recovering.
On Monday March 29, 2022, Larissa returned home from class and was going to take Mickey to his vet appointment when she noticed that his tent (bed area) had collapsed.
Larissa took Mickey to the Corry Station Vet where a veterinarian was unable to determine the cause of his symptoms.
Larissa told officers that one of the vets, Dr. Burton, asked if she was very certain Mickey had not been choked or squeezed by someone that has access to him.
At that point, Larissa went back home and began to review her “nest” camera footage that she had in her bedroom. Larissa explained to officers that kept the camera in her bedroom to keep an eye on Mickey while she was gone. What Larissa found out was horrifying!
She first came across a video of VETTERS, opening up her door and coming into her room and picking up Mickey.
Larissa told officers that “she was irritated by this because it was an invasion of privacy and also bothered Mickey while he was sick.” Larissa took Mickey and drove to a friend's house where they reviewed more of the video footage to see how many times that had happened.
Other videos from different dates and times, showed VETTERS “punching, kicking, choking, dragging, and otherwise physically abusing Mickey both inside and outside her room,” stated the report.
Officer Meeks then watched multiple videos and saw VETTERS entering Larissa’s bedroom and “each time would forcefully grab Mickey and repeatedly inflict pain on Mickey by punching, kicking, choking, and shaking him.”
Officer Meeks reported that he also saw VETTERS “hold Mickey by all 4 legs and hold him upside down and slam him down onto the bed repeatedly.” Officer Meeks further reported that he saw VETTERS “hold Mickey upside down by all 4 legs and repeatedly slam Mickey's head into the bed frame.” VETTERS was also seen in the videos “extend both of his middle fingers toward Mickey when he leaves the room.”
Larissa told officers that VETTERS had never had permission to be in her room without her and that he did not normally go into her room.
Officer Meeks spoke with Investigator Eddins and she told him that the symptoms that Mickey had were consistent with significant injuries that he would have sustained from the abuse in the videos.
From all the court documents I have read, it appears that Mickey survived the ordeal but just to be certain, I have sent out a few emails to confirm that he is in fact still alive. I will post an update should I receive a response.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
VETTERS’ mugshot shared from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Additional source:
#animalcruelty #crueldadanimal #cruautéanimale #tierquälerei #animalslivesmatter #florida #deathpenaltyforanimalabusers #abuse #sentence
