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.