Nebraska couple appear in court in cat bong case
Acea Schomaker, the 20-year-old Nebraska man cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty in March for allegedly placing a cat inside a homemade bong and exposing it to marijuana smoke, appeared in court for a second time today.
A June 30 hearing was set for Schomaker; the hearing will determine if his case will go to trial, according to Nebraska's KOLN/KGIN news. Schomaker's 22-year-old girlfriend, Marissa Vieux, also faces animal cruelty charges and appeared in court today. A June 8 jury trial date was set for Vieux.
Both Schomaker and Vieux pleaded not guilty last month, and Schomaker says he had no intention of harming the cat, a 6-month-old female named Shadow, by subjecting it to marijuana.
Vieux says she adopted Shadow from friends who had abused her. Apparently the traumatized cat came with behavior problems, and Schomaker claims he only placed her in the bong to soothe her. "Every time we took her out she would pretty much just lay down and proceed to clean herself and act like a stoned person," he has said.
Shadow was seized from the couple and taken to a local humane society.
-- Lindsay Barnett
Photo: Shadow after being rescued by Lancaster County Sheriff's deputies. She was reportedly dazed but in good condition when she arrived at a local humane society. Credit: Associated Press.
Lots of debate about the legalization of cannabis, the supposedly safe drug that has no side-effects and doesn't make you stupid. This guy needs to be the Legalize It poster boy. I don't want weed to be legal because I like to limit my contact with idiots.
Posted by: Rob Wilson | May 20, 2009 at 02:04 PM
This is pretty lame, they are bringing him up on hack charges, I know several "pets" that react just the way he described when "treated" with pot. They kinda just chill out and relax like everyone else in the room... of course they where not stuck "in" the bong...
Posted by: Some dude | May 20, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Rob - If you put a stupid person in, you get a stupid person. Think about the range of people that take aspirin, and that can cause internal bleeding.
Posted by: Ryan | May 20, 2009 at 02:17 PM
I tot i taw a puddy tat
Posted by: FapFap | May 20, 2009 at 03:19 PM
Dude!
Posted by: Weeds | May 20, 2009 at 03:38 PM
Of course he should be prosecuted for animal abuse. Cats react very differently than we do to drugs - for instance, aspirin can kill them and they don't get sleepy from Benedryl. If I remember correctly, anxiety in cats responds well to Valium in doses approved by a vet. What is so hard to understand about this concept? I rescued a cat once that someone had given speed to, and it damaged his nervous system and he couldn't use his hind legs properly.
I'm surprised I have to tell you - take a disturbed or hurt animal to the vet. What works for you may not work for him.
Posted by: mishele | May 20, 2009 at 04:19 PM
Uh... IN the bong?
Bongs are full of water... and usually not much bigger than a 1 liter bottle... there's something amiss in this story.
And re: Rob Wilson ..."I don't want weed to be legal because I like to limit my contact with idiots. "
...one doesn't really have anything to do with the other. You're going to encounter lots of idiots throught life, and most of them aren't going to be potheads.
Posted by: Davison | May 20, 2009 at 04:58 PM
Hey Davison, the device was described by police as a "homemade bong, consisting of a piece of garden hose attached to a duct-taped Plexiglass box" -- you can see a picture of it here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/04/nebraska-couple-pleads-not-guilty-to-animal-cruelty-charges-in-cat-bong-case.html
Posted by: Lindsay Barnett, L.A. Times | May 20, 2009 at 05:09 PM