Kitten killed to avoid paying vet's bill

[RebelOne]

KITTEN BATTERED TO DEATH

A six-week-old kitten was battered to death to avoid vets bills after being trapped in a door, a court heard.

Pre-school assistant Emma Cherrett, 25, accidentally injured Star the cat in the door last October but the wounds were not fatal, magistrates heard.

However, instead of taking him for treatment, her mother Patricia Smith, 46, asked for a carrier bag and took a metre long baseball bat-shaped cylinder of wood.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13402521,00.html

[lynettebro440]

1. Better watch out

people might start doing that to kids if they can't pay their medical bills. Put them in a sack and wack them over the head. What will they think of next.

[LisaL]

18. This lady (one of the kitty killers) works in pre-school.

Maybe she will start whacking her students in the head with heavy objects.
Disgusting.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

63. You'd be greatly surprised at the types of individuals that work....

...in pre-school centers.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

2. That might be a hanging offense in the UK as they had laws to protect

their animals before their children.

Poor kitty though.

[CAcyclist]

52. Tired Of That Canard

Strays that don't find homes are euthanized - killed - no one would ever consider killing orphan children. Don't push that crap that society cares about animals more than children. It's not true any where.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

58. It seems to me that you didn't get my point. I was discussing the

past, before England had laws to protect their children. Over a century ago.

Maybe they didn't kill orphan children deliberately, but I wouldn't be surprised if the death rate was very high.

[CAcyclist]

65. I Get Your Point Very Well nt

[MadHound]

3. Tell you what ladies,

Let me put you in a fucking bag, and start taking a few swings at you! Tell you what, I'll only make it the same number as what you gave that poor kitten.

Geez, I hate people like this. They decide to kill the kitten because taking it to the vet would have been too expensive. Listen closely ladies, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PROPERLY TAKE CARE OF AN ANIMAL, DON'T GET ONE!

Don't they realize that they probably could have made payments on the vet bill? Or that there are charitable organizations that would have either picked up the tab, or at least helped out on it? Geez, it's a damn good thing I've never witnessed something like this happening, I would be in jail right now.

Fucking assholes:grr:

RIP Star, you poor thing:cry: You're better off in kitty heaven that living with these heartless beasts. Say hi to my all of old kitty friends for me.

[Triana]

19. What MadHound said....

:mad: :mad: :mad:

That poor innocent kitty. I hope that b*tches karma catches up with her selfish a*s.

[lancdem]

4. I wish I hadn't read this

Now I'm almost nauseated, especially after reading the comments from the woman and her mother. how could anyone even think of doing such a thing, let alone following through?

[City Lights]

9. I know.

Now they "realize they didn't do the right thing."

"If it happened again I think I would take it to the vets, hand it over and say it wasn't mine."

They sure learned their lesson. :eyes:

Give them the max and forbid them from ever owning another animal again.

The whole story makes me sick. She didn't want it to go through any more pain, so she crushed its skull by bashing its head against the cement.

Scumbags. And one is a pre-school assistant. Yikes!

They don't look sorry to me. They look sorry they were found guilty.

[LisaL]

17. If it happens again? These people should be ordered not to

have anymore pets. People like these make me sick!

[livinginphotographs]

35. For the first time in history, it seems, we agree.

Whodathunkit. :)

[Midlodemocrat]

24. Me, neither. It is very, very sad.

[Robbie Michaels]

5. This Is Sad....

And I'm willing to bet this happens a lot more than we know. People like this are sick.

[Caleb]

6. That's disgusting

[doodadem]

7. Why are they even bringing up

that they can't afford to neuter a 6 week old kitten? Too young anyway, and has nothing to do with beating it to death. When I was a vet tech, many years ago, we charged $10 to put an animal down. I don't think it's gone up all that much, unless you are asking for vet care as well.

[MetaTrope]

8. As for the court costs...

Your tax dollars at work!

[sweetheart]

10. This happens a lot with stock animals

When a sheep gets an infected teet, the treatment can cost more than the
value of a sheep, and the infection goes untreated. Along with so many
other home remedies, killing the beast has actually been the way with
animal complications since old yella.

I'm sure the kitten was not in pain, and that rather cattle are more
terrorized before slaughter.

[LisaL]

21. You are sure the kitten was not in pain?

I am also sure if somebody got you in the bag and whacked you in a head with a heavy object, you wouldn't be in any pain either.

[sweetheart]

37. No, i'd be dead

A baseball bat will crush the skull of a kitten in a nanosecond. It'd
be as humane as killing a sheep or a cow. I find the offense taken here
to be rather curious given that cats eat meat, and that that meat comes
from stock animals that are killed similarly to this kitten.

Unless you and your cat both are vegetarians, offense at this looks ironic in the extreme.

[CAcyclist]

72. There's A Difference

People who slaughter livestock know what they are doing and while there is a lot of room for improvement, it's not comparable to putting a wiggling kitten in a bag and blindly whacking the moving part.

I doubt seriously if this kitten died instantly. So what if cats are carnivores? That doesn't make it ok to torture one to death.

[livinginphotographs]

33. "I'm sure the kitten was not in pain."

Um, it was still alive after the first hit. You're not actually condoning this are you?

[sweetheart]

38. I'm condoning common sense

Animals die every day, by the thousands, and to put a domestic animal
down has been done, and is done, all over the world, every day. That
our modern society of brady bunch happy days squeamish persons has not
the exposure to farm life and the reality of animal husbandry, does
not make it suddenly a crime to kill an animal injured as humanely
as possible.

I frankly see no crime, social or moral, move on folks, nothing to
see in this that does not make us all fools.

... better to go nominate the dihidrogen monoxide poison thread.

[livinginphotographs]

39. You think it's okay because it happens.

I think that the cruelty of this incident is not in any way diminished by the cruelty that food animals are subjected to.

I don't care if it's a kitten or a crocodile - nothing should have to die this way simply because some careless human injured it.

And you said you doubt it was in pain. Clearly it was, if only for a few seconds.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[livinginphotographs]

44. Where do we go from disagreeing with animal cruelty

to banning meat? I thought we were talking about a kitten that was clubbed to death?

Yes, I'd like to see a world where animals are not simply raised for food. Will it happen in my lifetime? Not likely.

And I'm capable of caring about people and animals at the same time. I'm also capable of caring about cute animals like kittens as well as the un-cute food animals like cows. In fact, most people who have such a cavalier attitude towards animal cruelty (and I'm not saying you, I'm saying people who actually act out aggressively towards animals) are more likely to harm humans as well.

I really don't care how my belief in animal rights make me look to others. What I believe is right is what I believe is right, regardless of how other people try to rationalize their own complicity or contentment with the way animals are treated by people. Not everything is about winning elections (and on DU, the "this is why we keep losing" excuse seems to be a cover for posters who want those with whom they disagree to shut up).

-signed
Proud Animal Rights Nutter

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

54. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Branjor]

68. "Sweetheart"

sure is no sweetheart.

[livinginphotographs]

60. It's like you're not even reading my posts

And just have the typical DU anti-veg agenda. If that's it, why do I bother responding?

But go on thinking you know my motivations. You've done such a good job so far... :eyes:

[LisaL]

84. Imagine I run you over with my car. Should I get a crowbar?

If you run over the child, would it be appropriate to get a crowbar and smash the child's head with it? What do you think would happen to you if you did that? If you could take human to a hospital despite him/her being in horrible pain, then it should be good enough to do the same thing for a cat.
:spank:

[Cats Against Frist]

57. Eh?

Yes, I'd like to see a world where animals are not simply raised for food.

So...what you're sayin' is that you're against the human domestication of animals? I'm as much of a closet Luddite as anyone, but that's taking a very extreme stance. It's one thing to support small operations and free-range animals -- but to be against all animal farming is taking it a little far. Besides, controlled domestication, I would think, plays a role in the extinction of species. Of course, it can backfire, and produce a product that is unhealthy for everyone (farm-raised Atlantic salmon), but it keeps us from killing off every wild animal for food.

If you're going to be against the domestication of something, it would make as much sense to be against the domestication of animals for pets. The concept of "petdom," is a wholly human invention. Who's to say that Fifi wouldn't rather be sniffing other dogs' buts and chasing squirrels, than watching The Young & the Restless on a chenille throw?

[livinginphotographs]

62. All my cats are rescues.

So yes, I am against the deliberate domestication of animals. I took these in because it was either that or they starved, got hit by cars, or were euthanized.

Can we please stay on topic? I'm not the one who brought up meat-eating.

[Cats Against Frist]

64. No -- that's totally cool. If you're vegan and against the domestication

of animals, and completely refuse all medical treatements where animals have been used in trials -- I think you're one hell of an individual.

And, that aside -- it is nice that you take in abused animals -- but -- how do you take in an animal that's been euthanized?

[livinginphotographs]

66. As far as medication goes

I don't take meds. But I live in a city that was built with slave labor. Should we tear it down and start over?

I'd like to see an immediate end to all animal experimentation, but it would be stupid to ban all of the drugs that are on the market today which were used in animal trials if these tests are banned. I'm not trying to kill humans needlessly either.

I'm not sure what you mean by your last sentence...

[Cats Against Frist]

69. Well, truthfully, you could make either decision.

It's an arbitrary value set -- one which contains ideological purity, and one that believes that, since the animals have already been exploited, that it's OK to go ahead and capitalize off of that exploitation.

What if you came across a mink stole at an estate sale? Would you buy it, or wear it -- I'm sure it would feel awesome.

Should eskimos not kill animals for fur skins? Or, is it OK for an Eskimo to come across a fur that has already been made into a coat, if he or she wishes to keep warm?

[livinginphotographs]

71. Comparing me to eskimos is apples to oranges.

I don't expect a tribe living in the Amazon rainforests to become vegan.

I have the option to do so, with only a little bit of extra effort, so I choose to.

No, I would not buy or wear a mink stole, but my car still has leather interior, which I bought years before I went veg (it's a 92 Camry, so we're not talking luxury here). My next car will not, but I see no reason to dump the car just because a meat-eater wants to slap the H-word on me.

The frustrating thing is that it is not the vegans that are demanding ideological purity, it's the carnivores. Stepping on the occasional ant by accident does not make you a hypocrite. I figure that anyone who tries to be compassionate towards other living things at least gets an E for effort, and I don't feel the need to nitpick how exactly they do that.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

47. Do you have evidence that plants suffer pain? Because they have no CNS

Or are you just making up facts?

On Edit: I'm a vegan, so don't even try the "but you eat meat!" line.

[friesianrider]

48. Please stop being so overly-dramatic here.

The issue at hand is whether a kitten with what sounds like MINOR injuries should have been taken to a vet for medical care or had it's skull beaten in by a baseball bat. :eyes:

Let't talk about the issue at hand - what you're bringing up has been, no pun intended, beaten to death over and over and over - no one wants to rehash it but you.

[friesianrider]

46. Stock animals are "different" under the law...THIS IS A CRIME.

And these people should be arrested.

Abso-fucking-lutely AMAZING people try and actually excuse this kind of behavior, even on DU.

[smbolisnch]

55. You're sure it was not in pain?

You must be joking. And I have to say, it's NOT funny. :cry:

[expatriot]

86. the fact that stock animals suffer horribly makes this no less a crime.

I personally believe the treatment of stock animals is criminal but incidents of direct personal abuse to "pets" such as this is just so very utterly insane. There are humane ways to euthanize animals if it comes to that, if this individual felt she could not afford vetinary care and there were no low-income vet services around, she could have "dropped" the kitten off at a shelter where at least it would have had a chance at adoption before it was humanely and quietly put down.

A few months ago I posted a poll on DU that asked if you believed animals felt pain (i.e. were capabile of suffering). There were at least 40 or 50 responses (i think it got up to 70) and not ONE person voted no. everyone voted yes.

So, if you believe animals feel pain then the decision to inflict pain upon them is sadistic. plain and simple.

We are all responsible for actions, if you choose to inflict or advocate the infliction of suffering upon the a creature you believe capable of suffering then you have no one to blame for the violence than yourself. You can not hide behind a defense that it was 'involuntary' because of our natural predispositions or the way of the world. Your way is nothing more than the way you choose. If you inflict suffering upon others you alone are the ultimate judge as to whether your action was for a greater good or whether it was done for petty self-gain, petty convenience or to feed some sick sadistic psychosis.

[Hello_Kitty]

11. Emergency animal hospitals where I am

Will take any animal regardless of the ability of the person who brought it in to pay. So will the Humane Society. I got my cat when he was a kitten because someone brought him in to the Chandler Animal Hospital here in AZ after he'd been run over by a car (he was fine). A friend of mine worked there and asked me to adopt him. All that woman had to do is walk into one and act like she found the cat injured somewhere if she didn't want to admit it was hers.

[pitohui]

22. maybe at your hospital

most vets do have to charge people who bring in animals

large #s of people claim they found the animal and sometimes they did really find the animal but the vet has a huge vet school bill to pay off and also likes to eat, even if you bring in a demonstrably wild animal you found, such as a west nile bird, you will be charged

we've had cases where people have dropped off animals and fled the vet's office, they called the police to report it and it made our local paper when one of these women was tracked down and arrested

seriously

not true to say most people can drop off a hurt animal and not be charged

this is the real world we got here

[LisaL]

30. Why did these disgusting people got this animal n a first place?

They say they couldn't spay the kitten, because they had no money.
Why did they get this cat when they knew they had no money?
WTF is wrong with people?

[pitohui]

36. that's a good question and one i can't answer

kittens are free but even so people should be educated care costs $$$

[LisaL]

73. They knew about cost. They had put their previous cat down,

and it cost too much in their opinion, so they just killed this one.
These people are just too stupid, and I wish they spend time in jail for this. A long time, although it doesn't sound likely.

[pitohui]

77. they don't seem very bright or resourceful

prob. didn't think a kitten would cost them any vet $$$ for yrs, didn't stop to think that shite happens, you need a small savings $$$ for emergencies when you have a pet, even a kitten

if i were the judge, i would issue a court order that they're not allowed to keep pets, if caught with another pet, then jail

[friesianrider]

51. I'm with you, lizzy.

People who don't have money to do basic care for animals like spaying have no business having them in the first place.

Unfortunately, when people do not get their animals spayed or neutered (and they have unplanned litters) these are given away for free to people who (9 times out of 10) do not fully appreciate the time or money involved in caring for a pet (and often end up being abused or neglected or mistreated like this poor little creature did). Then they end up in homes like this where THEY are not fixed, and the vicious cycle starts over once again.

Please, everyone - SPAY AND NEUTER ALL YOUR PETS!

[LisaL]

79. A lot of people get cats, then claim they haven't got enough money

for the vet, spay or neuter. I try to be polite, when I really want to ask them "WTF were you thinking when you got your cat?" "If you can't afford to care for your pet, why in the world did you get it?". Some people are just dumber than a bunch of rocks.

[FreedomAngel82]

12. Disgusting

:mad:

[movie_girl99]

13. jesus why do people have animals if they cant afford to take care of them

properly. This makes me sick.

[anarchy1999]

14. I really don't feel well right now. This is enough.

It is the straw. Game over.

I've had enough.

[patdem]

15. That reminds me of a litttle puppy I had who I had to put down....

I loved that little puppy, but he got sick so I took him to the vet. The doc took an xray and his tummy was filled with some solid matter. The doc could not tell what it was and told me it would cost about $1,500 for an exploratory exam, and I had just gotten a bonus of $1,500 so I had the money, but even the vet discouraged me from doing the operation because the outcome was about 10% that he would live..so I called a friend to ask and she told me I had better not spend my money on that because of what the vet had said...so I had to have my little puppy put to sleep..I cried for longer than I even had my little puppy and wrote him a poem:

Bear, my little Pooh,

I met you only a few weeks ago,
for you,
that was a lifetime ago.
Someone else named you,
Bear,
but I thought
how fitting.
You had a little bear muzzle.
Someone else
said you looked like a seal
and I could see that, too.
You,
with your big brown eyes
cutting them at me,
making a crescent moon
of white
around the corners.
You were cute beyond words.
So we just looked at each other
every night,
you
on the cushions
I had prepared for your comfort,
me
sitting on the couch
looking
from the TV back to you, and
you
always cutting those eyes
at me.
How I loved it.
How I thought what wonderful
years we will have together.
But it was not meant to be.
I hate that those big browns
with those wonderful
white crescent moons
will never cut
at anyone again.

[shockra]

16. That's beautiful.

:hug:

[patdem]

43. Thank you, I still cry when I think about my little Bear.

thanks for the hug.

[Straight Shooter]

31. That's one of the sweetest little poems I've ever read

I wish your puppy could have stayed with you and lived a long, happy life. My puppy, who grew up to be a big dog, was named Mr. Bear and he's the best thing that ever happened to me. He's been gone 6 years and I still miss him every day.

My heart goes out to you. It's never easy to know what to do. :hug:

[patdem]

45. Thanks, my Bear has been gone for almost 5 years and I still cry

maybe from guilt that I did not spend the money and hope against hope...I would have loved to have him with me. You would not believe how very cute he was..coy, cute, and loving. I love my dogs. I had my Poochy who was my most wonderful dog for about 15 years, but he had spinal cancer..and I petted her as she was put to sleep. I had her cremated and because she LOVED to ride in the car, she now is a permanent rider in my car...I now do not have a dog because I cannot even think about loving something so totally only to have to decide to kill them....

This woman to me is a monster...to kill just to save money is beyond belief!

[CAcyclist]

83. Hugs to you

:hug:
The decision to euthanize is very painful, but it's not killing your pet - not under the conditions you describe. The condition that it has is killing it. Your pet is suffering and you are giving it the gift of relieving its suffering.

Please don't feel guilty about your past decisions. You evidently gave it a lot of thought and had professional advice as well as the advice of your friend who knows you well. I am sure you made the right decision.

[darkism]

20. She probably called Frist for advice. n/t

[patcox2]

23. Meanwhile all you outraged people eat meat.

This is silly. I wouldn't spend a nickel to save one of my cats; they're fungible commodities, a new cat will be exactly the same. Cat so-called personalities are all the owners' projections.

[LittleClarkie]

25. There's a cat in the kettle of the Peking Moon

I've gotta stop eating there at noon....

[LisaL]

28. You shouldn't have any pets.

:spank:

[H5N1]

32. a pet rock... maybe

But only under close supervision.

[LisaL]

76. Pet rock is too god for him/ her.

[livinginphotographs]

34. I don't, and I find your post repulsive.

People like you shouldn't have cats.

on edit: people like you shouldn't be responsible for ANY living thing, cat or otherwise. I'd hesitate to even let you plant-sit.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[smbolisnch]

56. Jesus, I hope to hell no living thing has to depend on you.

:wtf:
ETA: I don't eat meat either. You don't have to be a vegetarian to have compassion, so I don't know what that even has to do with it. :eyes:

[City Lights]

59. I read your comment and now the image of a certain senate

majority leader is stuck in my head. :puke:

And not all the outraged people here eat meat. :eyes:

[pitohui]

74. i spent $$$ to care for my chickens when i kept them

and i eat chicken

they give their lives for us, the least we can do is make their lives comfortable while they're here

don't know much abt cats but would rather see them treated w. kindness, if they must be euthanized, it should be done humanely

[HeatherG.]

80. You Are Full Of It

I work at an animal shelter, and have probably been around many more cats then you. Cats do have personalities. It is a fact that cats are born with different dispositions, and that their personalities can also be affected by their life experiences. Some are social and love to play with and groom other cats. Others want to have everything to themselves, and want to hurt other cats. Some are active, and others lazy. Some are aggressive and assertive and others are passive and timid.

[expatriot]

87. Tennyson is very skiddish because of his hardknock life on the streets

he was found as a kitten in a cardboard box in a vacant lot by our trailer park by some ladies from an office nearby. He lived as a stray that they fed for a few months before we moved in and took him in. We were looking for another cat to rescue because Sonora, who had come to us as a stray a few months earlier at our old apartment was looking for a playmate. She is very demanding, curious and outgoing. She had only been "homeless" a day in between her being abandoned by a tenant that left her when they moved and us taking her in (so she doesn't know the hardknocks Tenny knows).

I could go on...

But it comes down to this. Animals suffer. Suffering, death and predation are natural. But we have a choice as to whether we will be responsible for the infiction of suffering. In the end, we can not hide behind arguments of "we were designed to be carnivores!" or "rabbits suffer terribly when wolves hunt them down and eat them... so why is it wrong for us to cause suffering?" Sometimes the infliction of suffering is unavoidable to prevent greater suffering but every choice to cause suffering must be made with deliberate consideration as to the motives behind that choice and the acceptance of all responsibility of the consequences of your actions.

[MN ChimpH8R]

26. How awful...

:cry: I hope that judge throws those two skanks in to jail for a good long time.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

27. This person should not be allowed to be near kids or animals...

she deserves whatever the maximum penalty is for this crime. No way should she get to keep her job, either. What a sick individual.

[mitchtv]

29. she sounds qualified to

run for Senator from TN

[Name removed]

40. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bullwinkle428]

49. Why do I have the sick feeling that the initial injuries

(from the door) weren't completely accidental?:scared:

[Rex]

61. Only a sick mind can murder a kitten IMO.

And I doubt she "accidentally" injured the cat.

[JohnnyBoots]

67. I'd have an easier time killing an adult person than I would a kitten

[Catchawave]

70. Poor kitty....

..and again, stupid humans. Most local humanes would have taken in the little guy for treatment or humane euthanasia if the dumbflucks would have released him.

So simple, yet so disturbing whacking this tiny kitty to death was an option :banghead:

[lonestarnot]

75. Patricia Smith a Frist relative? Maybe it's in the genes....

[Vinca]

78. This entire post is sickening . . . except for the puppy poem.

Anyone who doesn't love cats should leave them at the pound. FYI, they DO have personalities and some are HIGHLY intelligent. I had one wake me up when the electric blanket shorted out. She probably saved us from a fire. They're special creatures and a privilege to know.

[flvegan]

81. I hope that neither of these women chooses to have children.

They might not be able to afford health insurance, and well, kids get hurt just doing kid things.

And to the freaks that'll jump all over this post, saying I'm comparing people to animals, I'm bloody well not. I'm drawing parallels between actions and intent...so save it.

[flvegan]

82. Actually, you know, I think that everyone here condoning this action

for whatever reason, should go chime in on this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4257877

It's about a guy in Miramar that chucked his kid's puppy off a 5th story balcony (certain death, would seem humane to some of ya) because he crapped in the house.

Now, before chiming in on one being sick and one not, that isn't the issue. The issue is that in each case, a person didn't want an animal anymore, and dispensed it in their chosen way. Neither animal was terminal, nor threatening, but inconvenient. The intent was to kill the animal. Now, if those two ladies had tossed that little kitten off a balcony on the 30th floor (because lots of cats will survive a 5 story fall, amazingly enough), would that be okay? I mean, it's certain death, right?

I look forward to seeing you post your support for this fella in Miramar...

[smbolisnch]

85. The people condoning it shoud be ashamed.

Sickos.

[Dastard Stepchild]

88. And this is why I lock myself in my room and cry for hours on end...

To think that I still, sometimes, hold out faith that people will not do the most disgusting things to other living creatures. It only gets me disappointed in the end when I see the overwhelming evidence of cruelty. What a horrible end to that little life. What a terrible, terrible shame.

It breaks my heart.

[expatriot]

89. you are not alone, we must keep fighting

for the forces of compassion against the forces of sadism.

[Dastard Stepchild]

90. so true..so true...

Thankfully, I've got a real fire in my belly when it comes to the health and wellbeing of my fellow animals.
Thanks for the reminder that it's not a solitary fight.

:hug: