No Jail for Teen Who Torched Bird (Sick Alert!)

NewDay ^ | 08/12/03 | Jennifer Sinco Kelleher

[bedolido]

For using hair spray and a lighter to torch and kill his pet parakeet, a Shoreham teen was sentenced to complete 280 hours of community service and five years probation this morning in Riverhead, despite a deluge of letters from animal rights activists seeking jail time.

Timothy Guider, 18, pleaded guilty to aggravated cruelty to an animal in May, admitting that he set the bird ablaze, knowing it would die, during a New Year's Eve party at his home while his parents were out of town.

Suffolk County Court Judge C. Randall Hinrichs could have sentenced Guider to 60 days in jail but said that after reading a psychiatric evaluation report, he was satisfied the teen is not a threat to society. Calling the torching an "isolated incident," Hinrichs said he hopes Guider matures when he enters college this fall. Guider was granted youthful offender status, which allows his criminal record to be expunged if he completes his probation and community service successfully.

[Onelifetogive]

I detest animal cruelty as much as the next guy...but we must be careful what we allow the government to control...

Do you think hunting and fishing qualify as humane???

Keeping pets in cages??? Dog sledding??? Dog and horse racing???

[dead]

I know what you mean, but playing the "hair spray and lighter" game on a caged animal really fits most people's definitions of "inhumane."

In fact, I don't think you'll find a rancher, hunter, or even a butcher who thinks otherwise.

[thoughtomator]

I think I am OK with the government controlling flamethrowers in a dont-torch-your-parakeet context.

[mhking]

For using hair spray and a lighter to torch and kill his pet parakeet

Watched too many James Bond flicks....

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Onelifetogive]

I think I am OK with the government controlling flamethrowers in a dont-torch-your-parakeet context.

How about dropping live animals into boiling water?

[dfrussell]

but we must be careful what we allow the government to control...

Hunh?

Killing an animal to eat it is one thing; torching a pet bird to get your rocks off is something completely different.

Maybe a few weeks in a jail cell with Bubba would give the sorry little sh!t something to think about next time he decides to torture something in a cage...

[MEG33]

Absolutely.I wouldn't let this boy baby sit for me.This was sick.

[Onelifetogive]

Killing an animal to eat it is one thing; torching a pet bird to get your rocks off is something completely different.

You think there is no in-between? Sport fishermen? sport hunters? Horse racing ends up killing many horses - no one eats them.

I am not defending the torture of animals...but we can't even get the government to stop the wonton destruction of unborn humans.

[honeygrl]

Would he have gotten in trouble if he had just eaten the bird afterward? Sounds like it would've been a quick death.

[honeygrl]

"I know what you mean, but playing the "hair spray and lighter" game on a caged animal really fits most people's definitions of "inhumane.""

But don't you think the bird likely died almost instantly?

[MEG33]

Oh please..this is about burning a bird for fun.

[honeygrl]

"Maybe a few weeks in a jail cell with Bubba would give the sorry little sh!t something to think about next time he decides to torture something in a cage... "

Soooo... killing a bird means you deserve to be anally raped as a teen? You frighten me more than the boy who killed the bird does.

[mewzilla]

What makes you think he's going to stop with animals?

[geege]

He'll get his one of these days.....little moron....

[exile]

I agree. It pains me to side with the animal rights nuts on anything, but a stable upstanding member of society doesn't set animals on fire.

[from occupied ga]

What makes you think he's going to stop with animals?

You favor punishing someone for what they might do in the future?

[honeygrl]

"Oh please..this is about burning a bird for fun. "

People fish for fun. And after they catch the fish, they rip out the hook and throw it back. The fish is then likely to die from infection where the hook was. How is this any worse? I don't think it deserves 5yrs probation and all that community service unless they plan to punish anyone who hunts for sport while they are at it.

(and i'm not a PETA person, just the opposite)

[MEG33]

Piffle

[mewzilla]

People who abuse animals, especially in their youth, often go on to commit more heinous acts, often against people. All I'm saying is that this kid should have gotten some serious jail time and then monitoring.