Posted on 03/10/2011 2:36:47 PM PST by decimon
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – A U.S. teenager has been charged with a felony, and could face a two-year prison sentence if convicted, for killing her family's pet hamster, authorities said.
Monique Smith, 19, of Brooklyn was arguing with a family member in June when she reached for the hamster, choked it and threw it outside the house, police said on Wednesday.
She was arrested following an investigation after Smith's father contacted the America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to the society's assistant director Joe Pentangelo.
Smith is charged with one felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
That was better than the time we duct-tape a cat to our wagon and used it as a siren. But then, my Scottish friend says he has cats in that bag he blows into to make that weird sound.
I pulled the ol’ gold fish that is really a baby carrot trick on one of my daughter’s friend’s mothers. She almost threw up.
You could hear it crunch when I bit it.
I pulled the ol’ gold fish that is really a baby carrot trick on one of my daughter’s friend’s mothers. She almost threw up.
You could hear it crunch when I bit it.
Oh, to be clear, my daughter’s friend really only had one mother. :)
She probably won’t serve two years.
She is a royal pain in the butt to her family, and they can’t stand her. They can’t control her, either.
I hope she learns anger management.
>>Not to mention being someone else’s property.<<
That is the actual crime here. At the very least, she should have to reimburse her for the pet and expenses.
I was in downtown Seattle a few years ago walking down the sidewalk carrying a briefcase and a big rat ran out in front of me. I ran him down and cornered him in an indented retail doorway and stomped as hard as I could. A lot of people were watching and no small number of them thought it was hilarious. A businessman with a briefcase chasing down a rat downtown.
A dead hamster may seem funny to many of you, but to me the mindset of a person who, in a rage and intent on doing emotional damage to a loved one, injures or kills a pet is something to be worried about.
If this was some man who killed his girlfriend's puppy in order to scare her you would all be screaming for her to get away from him, but somehow this is a joke.
>>and squeezing to death someone’s pet for the sole purpose of inflicting distress on another human being.<<
I compare that to keying someones prized classic car. Same motivation. Same effect.
I am surprised at the comments here.
No, a hamster is not a child or even a cat, but to have someone grab your animal during an argument, choke it, and throw it out a window - does this sound like a teen you want in your house?
I certainly wouldn’t want her around my kids. This is a person who takes her fury out on small defenseless things to hurt someone. She’s scary.
there is no doubt WAAAAY more to this story.
This woman ( Teenager?) is out of control and raging and violent. Hate to see what her next step is..strangling a child? That was a violent, sick, sadistic act. My concern is much more about either getting her some kind of pyschiatric care ( if that would even help here??) or teaching this woman that her behaviors have consequences.
To minimize this behavior by calling it “no big deal” is not right.
Oh wow, I always wondered how one made Mice-a-roni!
That's true. But a felony conviction for a hamster is WAY over the top. How about a low grade misdemeanor, and 2 weeks community service at an animal shelter. Even that's fairly severe.
Rodent or not, it was a pet. It was the family’s choice to treat it as a pet, and as such it was equivalent to a cat or dog. Good thing this sicko was caught in time, before doing violence on a human.
Cruelty to children? Where is there a child in this story?
“Good.
Animal cruelty should be a major felony.
I hope she serves every second of those two years.”
I’m in full agreement. The “victim” here is life itself, and also those who have to hear of or observe the crime.
Shoot the girl and the father.
How stupid will we allow this to get?????
freak
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