Man Arrested For Burning Kitten on Grill

AP/CNN | 7-16-02 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

Man arrested for burning kitten on grill July 16, 2002 Posted: 4:03 PM EDT (2003 GMT)

A neighborhood friend of Sherry Scott holds the kitten they named 'Lucky,' in a recent handout photo.

LIBERTY, Missouri (AP) -- A man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly burning a kitten on a barbecue grill as several other people stood around and watched in amusement.

A witness pulled the scorched, 7-week-old tabby from the hot coals, but it was severely injured and had to be put to death, police said.

"They kept saying, `Meow, meow,' and they were poking at it with a stick," said Sherry Scott, who burned her hand grabbing the kitten.

Charles C. Benoit, 24, was charged with animal abuse, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He was jailed on $10,000 bail.

Jim Roberts, spokesman for the Clay County prosecutor's office, said he does not expect anyone else to be charged, because no witnesses could identify the others.

Scott said that on Friday night, she saw 10 or 12 people at the barbecue grill in the courtyard of the apartment complex where she lives. Scott said she asked what they were cooking, and they said it was a cat. She said the group taunted her, daring her to rescue the cat.

She said the group scattered when she threatened to call police. She said she pulled the kitten from where it had been shoved into the coals at the back of the grill. Its tail, whiskers, fur, eyes and throat were scorched.

"I called him Lucky because I thought I got him out of there just in time," she said.

Scott said she and other residents stayed up Friday night trying to nurse the kitten with an eye dropper of milk. But animal control officers decided that because of its respiratory injuries and inability to swallow food, it had to be destroyed.

"If you would have seen him, you would have cried," said Sheri Simpson, one of the residents who helped care for the kitten.

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

[Little Bush]

ARE THERE ANY SANE PEOPLE LEFT ON THIS PLACE????? WELL, WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY??????????

It's sad that someone has so little control over his own life that he resorts to taking the life of a 3-pound animal.

[RobRoy]

What yu "got" was a straw man. You didn't even try to spend much time building it.

And the name calling doesn't do much for your case. I can assume you're done, then?

[RobRoy]

I have seen animals grieve themselves to death over the death or loss of a beloved human.

Like the little robot in the movie AI?

[RobRoy]

The Biblical concept of soul applies to animals in the same way as humans. (And by the way I ate 2 hamburgers, sausage, eggs and a hot dog yesterday)

Yer right, I tend to use the words "soul" and "spirit" interchangeably on these threads when I should be more specific and say "spirit."

Sorry...

[kaylar]

I know how you feel about your cat...I lost my 14 1/2 year old dachshund just a few weeks ago. I raised him from a puppy.

[Lazamataz]

What 'yu "got"' is a depraved indifference to humanity and to animal's welfare.

You are Christianity's personal little black eye.

Go slither under a rock and rejoice in other peoples suffering away from all of us. Begone, foul creature!

[Lazamataz]

:o( Sorry to hear about your pooch. Lots of Freepers lost their little buddies lately. OneidaM lost one too.

[Shooter 2.5]

"Like the little robot in the movie AI?"

Just to give you a clue, most arguments are lost as soon as the person uses movie plots as proof.

[Wm Bach]

C.S. Lewis was known to believe that beloved pets gain a little bit of humanity from us over the years, just as we share in the love of Christ. That's not to say that there's a cat or dog "heaven", but it at least opens the possibility; perhaps our love makes our pets more human, just as Christ's love makes us more like Him.

I once remember an old Irish priest named Father Tom telling a grief stricken shoolmate that Jesus said all things that are on Earth are in Heaven. Therefore her dead dog was in Heaven.

I think all animals DO have spirits, maybe lesser spirits than the human soul, but spirits nonetheless. I've seen acts of compassion amongst dogs and cats such that I can not be convinced that it is otherwise.

[RobRoy]

That's been covered already. But you admit you are ignorant of the teachings of Christianity so I have no ill will toward you (or anyone here for that matter).

I have made the mistake of talking of the deeper teachings of Christ to little children that do not understand. I will try to keep it light from here on in.

The Bible says a lot about how to treat humans and animals. That is why I myself do not torture animals. In fact they like me so much (compared to other people) it fascinates my wife. I have never said I think this guy did something even remotely ok. I have been merely trying to apply a context here and none will have it.

Oh well. With the exception that I would never get a word in edgewise, this would be a better debate face to face.

Too many here are only partly reading what I say or ignoring much of what I say. I can't take responsibility for that.

And yes, it's ok to see it as walking meat. The Bible talks about how to treat them, not how to feel about them. So many here think that just because an animal can mimic human emotions that it must be feeling the same feelings, yet that isn't even true with other humans.

There's just not enough time to fully explain this here, but it doesn't make it untrue. Only four people on this thread have gotten past their emotions and understood what I was trying to say. The rest are attacking me on points that I NEVER SAID OR IMPLIED.

But the power of inferrence is incredible.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Sounds like a future serial killer. They always start with animals.

I wouldn't want somebody like this living next to me. Or in my neighborhood.

[Lazamataz]

But the power of inferrence is incredible.

Here's a clue, since you so desperately need one: It ain't inferrin' to quote your hideous, sick, and purposefully offensive thoughts as presented in plain text that you yourself wrote.

[RobRoy]

Just thought I'd flag dixie sass to the abject hypocrisy and cruelty RobRoy was exhibiting, because I know she had words with him as well.

You're whining. I didn't torture anybody yesterday, unless reading an opinion that disagrees with yours is considered torture. My one comment that I was referring to in a previous post was accurate. I was letting those who like to infer meaning that isn't there build my case for me. Just like many think rush limbaugh is arrogant when he says "talent on loan from God," many here missinterpreted what I said.

Yet what I said was not cruel at all. I did not think people would take it as emotionally as they did, although I thought some would disagree. They are victims of their own emotionalism. It's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, your virtues are your vices.

[He Rides A White Horse]

They probably aren't a risk to humans since most people who do this sort of thing draw a line between human and animal

You are dead wrong. There is a very strong association between torturing animals and serial killing.

They often 'graduate' to killing humans.

[RobRoy]

Too many here think that I am saying it is ok just because I don't think it should be a crime. The two are mutually exclusive.

There are a lot of things people do that are wrong that are not against the law. There are even right things people do that are against the law.

When I say something should or shouldn't be a crime, I am stating whether it is constitutionally an area where the government gets involved.

Do I think it's wrong? Yes. Just like pre-marital sex, homosexuality and a number of other things. Do I think the government should get involved, constitutionally speaking? Yes, if the animal (any animal) was someone elses property. Otherwise, the only tool I feel comfortably using against sinners such as this GROUP of people is shame.

[EODGUY]

I have never and would never conduct myself as this person has. I would love to give him an opportunity to try something equally as disgusting with a person who is not defenseless/helpless. I would like to hear from his own lips his rationale for his abhorrent actions.

Don't assume that I am a Neanderthal because of the tasks to which I dedicated my career.

By the way, EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal....we do our very best to avoid blowing up people, expecially ourselves.

I appreciate your misguided lecture, however.

EODGUY

[RobRoy]

What 'yu "got"' is a depraved indifference to humanity and to animal's welfare. You are Christianity's personal little black eye. Go slither under a rock and rejoice in other peoples suffering away from all of us. Begone, foul creature!

You don't know me. I hate to see you pass judgement and destroy any possible positive relationship we could have based on your missinterpretations of what I say on this one particular subject. You have yet to respond in a non-emotional manner.

There is more to what I am saying than you percieve. I cannot say it is that you just refuse to see what I MEAN, or I am not communicating what I mean very well. I don't really have the time to produce the volumes that would clarify this utterly completely, but I'll try later.

[RobRoy]

Just to give you a clue, most arguments are lost as soon as the person uses movie plots as proof.

In your opinion...

It works very well for me when speaking to americans of this particular culture. It is something people can relate to.

But for you I'll be more direct. I can program a robot or "virtual" character in a video game to "feel" pain to the point of making people cry. That is because they have a point of referenc with which to "interpret" the apparent "feelings" of the program.

The trap most are falling into on this thread is using their human brain and even their own life experiences "lens on life" as their point of reference to interpret the actions and reactions of animals.

Sometimes this doesn't even work when interpreting the actions and reacions of other people!

[Lazamataz]

I will reserve judgement, then, until you can explain yourself more fully.

You are starting from a fairly weak position, but I am open to your argument.

[Shooter 2.5]

You have been given ample evidence of the suffering of animals on this thread from Freepers who have studied their pets.
If you choose to ignore that evidence and still insist that an animal has no more feelings than a computer, I suggest you use that computer to do some research of your own. Again, it's just a suggestion.