After pet Chihuahua 'brutally murdered,' owner wants to raise awareness of animal cruelty
Batman, an 8-year-old black Chihuahua from Sussex, will always be remembered for being a "little furnace."
Batman, so named because of his long and big ears, loved people and loved keeping them warm, his owner Shelly Lasica said.
"He did that for everyone. He was a sweet boy," she said.
Now, she wants to raise awareness about cruelty to animals.
Batman was found dead under a blanket in the corner of a bedroom at the family's home Jan. 26. Waukesha County Sheriff's deputies found the dog with a stab wound and a plastic bag over its head, according to the criminal complaint.
The family's 18-year-old female babysitter, Kielee Sonnemann, was charged Jan. 29 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with felony mistreatment of animals causing death with use of a dangerous weapon.
The mistreatment of animals charge carries a maximum sentence of three and a half years in prison. The use of a dangerous weapon modifier increases that amount to a maximum of seven and a half years.
Lasica was asked if she feels that's enough.
"No, not at all," she said. "She needs more than that. In my eyes he was still living and breathing and he was brutally taken.
"I don't find it fair that people can take another life ― human life or not ― and walk away with so little punishment."
She said that people who do "such an act" need a lot of help to be back in the community. "It barely gives you any time," she said.
The community helped find Batman, and now, they mourn him
Lasica noticed that Batman was missing on the evening of Jan. 25. She posted about it on Facebook and then went out to look for her dog.
"He was a small defenseless dog," she said. She said she suspected Sonnemann, who was babysitting one of the family's young children, was responsible because she was the only one at home at the time.
Lasica said Sonnemann, of the town of Wayne in Washington County, had been a babysitter for the family for years and would often pet Batman and snuggle with him.
"She was not some random person."
According to the criminal complaint, Sonnemann said she wanted the dog to get away from her, and said the dog was barking and biting "a little." However, Sonnemann said she does not remember stabbing the dog. Sonnemann told authorities that "maybe a bunch of little things were adding up" that could have caused her to get mad.
"If he (misbehaves), you could just say, 'Batman kennel,'" Lasica said.
Sonnemann was arrested on Jan. 26, according to the complaint and has been at the Waukesha County Jail since, according to online court records.
A phone message to Sonnemann's attorney, public defender Ricardo Tapia, was not immediately returned.
"He was a lover," Lasica said about Batman. "He would snuggle with everyone." She said she is touched by the community members who looked for Batman and shared their condolences.
"That is nice," she said. "It showed his life mattered."
A preliminary hearing for Sonnemann is scheduled for Feb. 7 in Waukesha County Court.
A GoFundMe account for Batman
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Batman. According to the GoFundMe page, funds raised will help pay for Batman's cremation, attorney fees and court costs. Leftover funds will go to animal shelters throughout the county.
As of Feb. 2, $3,055 of the $5,000 goal has been raised. To donate, visit bit.ly/fundsforbatman.
More: This three-legged dog is training to inspire others to overcome difficulties in their lives
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Owner of murdered Chihuahua wants to raise awareness of animal cruelty
