Nebraska man pleads guilty to animal cruelty in cat bong case

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Acea Schomaker, the Nebraska man who was cited in March for placing a cat in a makeshift marijuana bong, pleaded guilty Monday to animal cruelty charges in the incident. Schomaker, who recently turned 21, also pleaded guilty to charges of marijuana possession and being in possession of alcohol while he was still a minor, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.

Schomaker originally pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges in April and has said his intention was not to harm the cat, a six-month-old female named Shadow, but rather to calm her.

Shadow, he said, had behavioral problems that included biting and scratching people. After hearing stories of animals being calmed when humans blew marijuana smoke in their faces, he decided to do them one better and placed her inside the smoking device.

One of the sheriff’s deputies involved in the case said Shadow was shaking when she was removed from the device and that part of her body appeared to be covered in urine and feces. The cat was taken to a Lincoln, Neb., animal shelter, where she was reportedly in good condition after the effects of the marijuana wore off.

Schomaker will return to court Sept. 18 for sentencing; he could face up to a year in jail, according to the Journal Star.

-- Lindsay Barnett