Posted: 3/9/2005 4:35:37 AM EDT
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A Moline (Illinois) man faces an animal abuse charge after a Bettendorf Library patron saw him cut the throat of a live cat Monday, police said. Thomas M. Hammond, 34, of 1919 24th St., was observed cutting the stray cat’s throat at about 10:30 a.m. after it walked across the parking lot of the library, 2950 18th. St., police said. Hammond admitted the act when officers arrived and found the cat in the grass near the parking lot, and the knife used was located in his car and placed into evidence, police said. “He told our officers at the scene he felt the cat was injured and needed to be put down,” Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington said. “There’s question in our mind whether the cat was actually injured.” Officers arrested him for animal abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine under state law. Injured animals should be reported to the Scott County Humane Society or Bettendorf police, Redington said. “There are humane ways of treating animals when they are injured, and cutting their throat is not one of them,” he said. Hammond was released from the Scott County Jail after posting $6,500 bond Tuesday. Police took the cat to a veterinarian clinic to determine whether there were injuries prior to its being killed, Redington said. “It was apparently walking on its own,” he said. Todd Ruger can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or [email protected]. |
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I thought this was a fairly humane way to kill any animal. I would like to know how he can be charged with animal cruelty. Why not charge him with unlawful killing of an animal? If there is no law for that, how can he be guilty? Don't they still cut the heads off chickens? Yes, I'm full of questions, but jeesh. |