Posted on 07/01/2009 7:11:49 PM PDT by Chet 99
BOSTON -- The beating death of a cat in front of shocked children prompted protests Sunday in Worcester.
A group of people gathered in front of the city police department, demanding police put Tom Foley behind bars.
Foley admittedly beat a cat named Lily to death in front of several children on Friday.
The owner, Lisa Tuttle, said her cat Lily had just given birth to a litter of kittens and may have been feeling territorial when she charged Foley's dog and scratched Foley several days earlier on Dupuis Avenue.
"I just came out. I saw the cat in a pool of blood, my daughter screaming," neighbor Lisa Tuttle said. Witnesses said at least one adult and four horrified children saw Foley beat the cat to death with a stick.
[Lisa Tuttle, cat's owner] Lisa Tuttle, cat's owner More "I think it's an awful crime that he did it in front of kids. I think it shows his lack of humanity. I think that these kids are going to be traumatized," protest organizer Jaqueline Corliss said.
Foley, of Stoneham Road in Worcester, claimed he was defending himself from the seven-pound cat.
He has not been charged.
The College of Holy Cross put Foley on paid leave from his job as a public safety officer.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals law enforcement department is actively investigating the incident and asked any witnesses to any animal cruelty to contact them directly at: 617-522-6008 or 800-628-5808.
Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts punishable by a fine up to $2,500 and up to five years in prison.
Yeah....people need to see the big picture here. The man who killed this PET has a serious psychological malfunctions — is out of control and should be punished, medicated and taken off the streets. He’s dangerous.
I suppose it all depends on how hungry you get. Ever read any Jack London? The more hungry, the less difference.
That doesn't have a lot to do with this story either way, however. This guy was obviously not killing the cat to eat it.
On the other hand people can lose perspective and get overly emotional about their pets. Someone who kicks their cat does NOT deserve to be gutted and have their entrails spread down the street, or whatever miserable outcome they wish on them.
I sometimes think people would be harsher on someone who abused their cat than their children. A child molester should go to prison, but someone who kicks a cat ought to be hung from a tree and skinned alive.
"...at least one adult and four horrified children saw Foley beat the cat to death..."
Sorry all you defenders of this insane piece of garbage, but this time I'm definitely on the side of severe punishment for this contemptible deed.
And by the way, cats have a reputation for having nine lives because they are hard to kill. Beating it to death is a particularly long and painful way to die for a cat.
As I have said many times before, killing an animal for whatever reason is one thing, but torturing it to death for any reason is despicable.
Someone who tortures or brutally kills an animal clearly have some psychological issue with anger and it can be an indicator that they will be a danger to society.
Someone who shows such an extreme attachment to an animal that they would value the animals life over that of another human being are also showing a kind of misanthropic behavior and it too can indicate that they may become a danger to society.
For example, the extreme views of animal rights and the unhealthy emotional attachments held by the Animal Liberation Front members lead them to commit acts of terrorism that has lead to the death of innocent people.
They value the life of animals over that of human beings and are a danger to everyone.
Obviously most people who cannot control their anger will never become mass murderers, just as most people who hold unhealthy attachments to animals will not kill a human being to save an animal.
However, both should examine their behaviors and correct the problem for their own and everyone’s good.
Someone who shows such an extreme attachment to an animal that they would value the animals life over that of another human being are also showing a kind of misanthropic behavior and it too can indicate that they may become a danger to society.
I would bet that most people would say their pets life is more important than Saddam Hussien or Osama Bin Laden. First of all this is not about putting the monster to death. It's about him being a psycho that is out of control and a danger--and punishing him/getting him serious help. Unfortunately for you, people become very attached to their animals, and if you decided to go next door and abuse your neighbors dog for no reason, I'm sure your neighbor would have no problem justifying killing you--and not because you trespassed.
For example, the extreme views of animal rights and the unhealthy emotional attachments held by the Animal Liberation Front members lead them to commit acts of terrorism that has lead to the death of innocent people. They value the life of animals over that of human beings and are a danger to everyone.
Yes, they are nutjob extremists...no body can argue against that...but why are you bringing them up in this case? Perhaps you feel the need to digress to save yourself.
Obviously most people who cannot control their anger will never become mass murderers, just as most people who hold unhealthy attachments to animals will not kill a human being to save an animal. However, both should examine their behaviors and correct the problem for their own and everyone’s good.
Losing control of your anger like punching a hole in the wall, is different from beating a 'life' to 'death'..and in front of kids.....you need to separate that.
~~~
I conclude that you are mad that some people in your life like their animals over you...
> Someone who shows such an extreme attachment to an animal that they would value the animals life over that of another human being are also showing a kind of misanthropic behavior and it too can indicate that they may become a danger to society.
My pets — like my family members — are under my Protection and are entitled to be Protected by me.
I value the lives of my pets over the life of any sociopath who might decide to harm or kill my pets. That isn’t even a difficult moral equation for me at all. That’s good pet ownership.
The slimeball who kicked that cat to death: his life is worth nothing at all. Ten years in the slammer would be a lenient penalty: it would be more efficient to string him up by the nuts, granted. He might rehabilitate after 10 years of porridge, so the Law in its majesty ought to extend him the benefit of the doubt and spare his life.
You summed it up nicely. :)
(grin!) good teamwork!
Throw the guy in the klink.
1. I never said that the cat's killing was justified. I specifically said just the opposite in my first post that you responded to. Either you forgot or didn't read it.
2. We aren't talking about a 4th generation feral cat. We are talking about someone's alleged "pet" that was running around outside for whatever reason.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the pet owner. If my cat or dog runs out the door because I wasn't careful enough walking in or out and they are hit by a car or attacked by another animal or human....it's my fault ultimately. That doesn't absolve anyone else from their actions if they are criminal but the fact that my pet was loose and therefore at risk of injury or attack IS my responsibility.
There is a popular piece of propaganda from animal rights groups that says a mouse is a dog is a child.
I have a question for you two that can answer whether your pet attachments are unhealthy.
What would you do if you found your child beating a cat to death? Would you want to put him in jail for 10 years in your benevolence or maybe castrate him? Some other torture you’re willing to engage in?
> I have a question for you two that can answer whether your pet attachments are unhealthy.
I’m not convinced your question will demonstrate anything of the sort, but give it your best shot.
> What would you do if you found your child beating a cat to death?
My children would never beat a cat to death because they have been brought up properly. If, however, I saw one of them mistreating an animal I would give the child a dam’n good spanking and a lesson on why we don’t mistreat animals. The offense would never be repeated.
> Would you want to put him in jail for 10 years in your benevolence or maybe castrate him? Some other torture you’re willing to engage in?
No, just normal parental disciplinary measures would be fine. They have not failed to work properly in the past and they would certainly work in this instance too.
Children have diminished responsibility by dint of their age, and parents have the responsibility to ensure that they learn right from wrong.
Adult sociopaths who kick or beat animals to death have no such diminished responsibility: true, their parents share their blame because they probably didn’t raise them right. But they are adults and ought to be given an adult punishment befitting of a low and contemptible bully that beats cats to death. Stringing the offender up by the nuts sounds about right.
There is no fair moral comparison between what children do when they misbehave and what adult sociopaths do because they are adult sociopaths. Your attempt to equate the two is quite frankly bizarre.
You mentioned spanking your child...would you ever beat/spank you pet?
you = your
Tell me, why did God give us cats and dogs?
The guy is a total loser. Grandpa or no Grandpa, family man or not..who cares? He killed a pet in front of kids for no reason! Someone should beat his face with a stick!!!!!
> You mentioned spanking your child...would you ever beat/spank you pet?
No. I would never consider doing either to a pet.
For the record, beating and spanking are two different things.
So, you’d hit your child but not a pet. Ok.
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