Charges: Blaine man poisoned tenant’s cats because he ‘did not want the cats on the property’

A Blaine man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly poisoned his tenant’s cats because he “did not want the cats on the property.”

Kevin Michael Halverson, 57, was charged Friday in Kanabec County Court with one count of animal cruelty and two counts of mistreating animals.

The investigation into Halverson began July 27, when a Kanabec County deputy responded to a call from a tenant in Halverson’s building, identified in the criminal complaint as J.E.S., who reported that they suspected Halverson was poisoning the cats around the building.

In speaking with J.E.S., law enforcement learned he is a retired veteran who works with the Veterans Administration to have the cats spayed or neutered, and rehomed. The complaint added that J.E.S. has previous experience taking care of cats.

J.E.S. confirmed to deputies that Halverson was aware of his plans to have the cats taken to a shelter but was not happy he was taking care of the cats and wanted him to stop.

The manager of the property also told law enforcement that Halverson had asked him to help poison the cats by putting antifreeze in their food.

The complaint added that the property manager declined Halverson but later witnessed him putting antifreeze in a trailer that the cats were known to crawl into.

When confronted by the property manager, Halverson said he “did not want the cats on the property.”

J.E.S. contacted law enforcement after he noticed the cats’ health start to decline, and a few of them died in his arms.