By Elaine Silvestrini
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA, Fla. — A man who killed, cooked and ate the family dog will not go to state prison, but will have to get residential mental health treatment after a psychologist said the man suffers from untreated mental illness.
Thomas Huggins, 26, was convicted last month of animal cruelty for strangling the pit bull, Bandit, which he said had become aggressive.
Huggins testified during his trial that he used a plastic garbage bag to suffocate the dog, holding her with a towel or blanket to keep her from struggling. He said he had to try twice because Bandit got away the first time.
Court-appointed psychologist Peter Bursten testified Friday that Huggins suffers from schizo-affective disorder, bipolar type, a form of schizophrenia.
“He knows that something’s not right, but he doesn’t understand the extent of it,” said Bursten, who testified that while the mental illness likely influenced Huggins’ actions regarding the dog, it did not render him legally insane.
“He knew what he was doing,” Bursten said. “He understood the wrongfulness of his behavior.”
Bursten said Huggins can be treated with medication, but that Huggins told him he regards medicine to be “the Antichrist.”
But Huggins told Circuit Judge Samantha Ward he will submit to treatment.
Full story: Man who killed, ate dog avoids prison, ordered to treatment