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Bainbridge Public Safety officers arrested Latika Guy on Sunday after investigators believed she intentionally poisoned her neighbor’s dog, leading to them having to put the animal to sleep.

According to BPS Investigator Mark Esquivel, Guy filed a report on Sunday, April 19, claiming her neighbor’s dog was trespassing on her property. The report stated Guy saw the dog defecating in her yard and put out something for the dog to eat.

Officers spoke to the dog’s owner, Vickie and Zachariah Taylor, who claimed the dog got out when someone opened the door and that is why the dog was in Guy’s yard going to the restroom. Following the dog’s return to the home, the Taylors noticed their dog was sick and took it to the vet. They also took a sample of what they believed the dog ate to the vet for testing.

The vet then contacted Guy and asked her what was in the dish she put out, where she admitted she put household cleaners such as Lysol and bleach in the dish. Hearing of this, the vet explained to the Taylors the dog’s kidneys were shutting down and the dog would need to be put to sleep, because there was nothing they could do.

Once the dog was put to sleep, Esquivel charged Guy with aggravated cruelty to animals with a bond of $2,950. Esquivel said he had never had someone poison an animal like this in the city, and while what Guy did was not appropriate or lawful, pet owners must keep a close eye on their animals.

“There is a leash law in Bainbridge, and pet owners have to take responsibility for their pets,” Esquivel said.

Earlier this year, Esquivel worked a string of cat shootings in the Douglas Court area. Now seeing this poisoning, he is urging all pet owners to have eyes on their animals at all times due to the unforeseen possibility of what might happen.