Kat's Sharebooks 

Dear kat,

Demand Justice for Cat Beaten to Death by City Employees

Two employees of Springfield, Missouri's City Utilities (CU) agency apparently recently found a cat trapped in a garbage receptacle at one of their employer's service centers. By the time they left the scene, the cat had been stoned to death and left in the dumpster, buried under a trash bag. The animal's skull was crushed in the attack, according to news sources.

It appears that neither of the suspects has been held legally accountable for their alleged attack. Please help us change that.

On November 27, CU announced that the accused had been suspended from work and ordered to perform animal-welfare related community service; one was demoted and the other denied any chance of promotion for a year. A CU spokesperson apparently deemed the matter a mere "personnel situation."

This is clearly a criminal situation. Their alleged act merits each suspect being charged with the Class A misdemeanor offense of animal abuse, given that Missouri Revised Statutes Section 578.012.1 stipulates that one is guilty of that offense "when a person: (1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal" and given that Section 578.005(3) defines animal as "every living vertebrate except a human being."

When the Springfield Animal Control department was contacted regarding criminal charges, the agency knew of no criminal investigation into the suspects' actions or related pending criminal charges against them.

Please respectfully remind the officials below that those who abuse animals rarely do so only once and almost never stop there. Politely explain that the safety of Greene County and its animals may well be at stake, and that their employer's workplace penalties can in no way replace the penalties state law reserves for these suspects if they are convicted of crime they are accused of.

Ask that each of these offices take all necessary action - including criminal prosecution - to ensure that this defenseless cat was the workers' last victim.

Click here for more information on this case, or send a fax letter right from our website.

Contacts

The Honorable Darrell L. Moore
Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Greene County
1010 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802
417-868-4061
417-868-4160 (fax)
Email: DMoore@greenecountymo.org

CC: Ron Boyer, Supervisor
Springfield Animal Control Program
4002 North Farmer Springfield, MO 65802
417-833-3592

CC: Chief Lynn Rowe
Springfield Police Department
321 E. Chestnut Expressway Springfield, MO 65802
417-864-1810
417-864-1713 (fax)
Email: SPDWebSiteMail@ci.springfield.mo.us