ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A St. Petersburg man is behind bars, accused of a horrifying case of animal cruelty where three of his pets died from what he allegedly called “an infestation of fleas that ate him alive,” and were then left to decompose inside his home for weeks.
The grim discovery was made around 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, 2025, when police arrived at the home of Keith Stanley Robertson, 55, located at 164 44th Avenue NE, to support a Pinellas County Animal Control well-being check.
Inside the residence, officers discovered a scene of severe neglect. They found the decomposing bodies of a Dachshund named Newman, who had been with Robertson for nine years, as well as two cats, Strizzy and Mama, that he had owned for one and two years, respectively. According to the arrest reports, Robertson admitted that the three pets had been dead for approximately two weeks.
A fourth pet, a one-year-old cat named Wolfe, was discovered alive but in desperate condition. The report describes Wolfe as “starved, missing patches of fur, and infested with fleas.” He was found in a box next to one of the deceased cats.
According to the affidavits, Robertson waived his Miranda rights. He allegedly admitted he knew his pets were suffering and needed medical help, but refused to get it because he was “embarrassed.” The report states he claimed to have had a “breakdown” and had pushed away numerous calls for service and offers for help, insisting he was “fine.”
Robertson now faces four separate felony counts of animal cruelty—one for each pet. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, with his total bond set at $20,000. The surviving cat, Wolfe, is presumed to be in the protective care of Pinellas County Animal Control.