Felony case hinges on if lizard is a 'companion animal'

Whether pet lizards can be as important to a person as cats, dogs and other cuddly critters is the crux of a case against a West Dundee woman facing animal cruelty allegations.

Sara Tinsley, 37, is charged with stabbing her estranged husband's pet lizards, a pair of bearded dragons named Ethel and Fred, during an April 2 row at their former home.

One of her two charges is a felony, and in a bid to get it reduced, Tinsley intends to challenge the state law's view of a "companion animal."

Defense attorney Timothy Mahoney, without disputing how the two lizards were knifed multiple times, argues reptiles don't give their human owners company on par with traditional pets.

"When you talk about a 'companion animal,' you're talking about walking it, caring for it … a dog or cat," Mahoney said Wednesday.

There are about 50 different types of bearded dragons, which are similar to iguanas, and the most popular kind grow to about 2 feet long, said Natalie Cerda of Critters Pet Shop in St. Charles.

"You can put them on your shoulder or let them walk around your house," she said, adding that bearded dragons are friendly. "People take a lot of pride in their lizards. They show them off like kids."

Tinsley, of 541 S. Second St., was arrested after the lizards were stabbed during an argument on the phone with her now ex-husband, Harry E. Tinsley, police said.

Sara Tinsley is accused of throwing the lizards against a wall before she stabbed each several times with a knife. Ethel died. Fred later recovered after he underwent surgery, prosecutor Nemura Pencyla said.

Under Illinois law, a companion animal must be considered a pet by its owner, or animals commonly thought of as pets, such as a dog or house cat, Pencyla said.

Tinsley waived her right to a jury trial Wednesday, and that means the outcome could be up to Judge Grant Wegner and his ruling on whether bearded dragons are the same as other pets.

"That's probably the largest looming issue in this case," Pencyla said.

The case will be in court again Feb. 20, when a trial date could be set. Sara Tinsley is free on bail.

Harry Tinsley, 38, of 1209 Bishop St., in West Chicago, is charged with domestic battery, accused of choking Sara Tinsley a day earlier, sparking the attack, police have said.