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Loading...Teen Boys Face Felony Charges For Drowning Newborn Kittens
Two newborn kittens lived in this world for only 48 hours, but their presence is making history in Nevada. The siblings were stolen from their mother by two 16-year-old boys who cruelly drowned them in a cup of water. In the first case of its kind, the teens were charged with felony animal cruelty and will be tried under a new stricter law enacted in 2011.
The sad crime would have gone unnoticed if Christine Ohm hadn’t heard animals crying and boys laughing in her neighbor’s yard, while she was cleaning her pool. She ran and got a ladder and looked over the fence.
“I saw they had drowned one kitten in a cup of water,” said Ohm. “The other was in the water and dead, but the boys were still holding it down.” The teens used a barbecue utensil to keep the kittens underwater.
Horrified at what she saw, Ohm took pictures of the scene with her phone and called Las Vegas police for help. The boys were charged with felony cruelty and are being held in custody.
The teens, whose names are being withheld because they are juveniles, are the first people in the state to face felony animal cruelty charges for a first offense since a stricter law was enacted in 2011. Cooney’s Law was passed to protect animals after a beagle was brutally mutilated by its owner. Prior to the law, a person had to commit three acts of animal abuse before being charged with a felony crime.
Thomas Ericsson, one of the teenager’s lawyers argued in court, “As I’m sure you’re aware, Las Vegas euthanizes thousands and thousands and thousands of feral and pet cats because people aren’t spaying and neutering them. I’m not justifying the conduct, but this wasn’t violence against other people; it was inappropriate conduct involving the animals.”
The judge didn’t buy the argument, calling it “outright cruelty.” The charges send a strong message that times have changed in Nevada and animal abuse will not be tolerated.
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Read more: animal cruelty, animal law, animal rights, animal welfare, teens drown kittens NV, teens first charged NV felony cruelty
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Thanks for the update...Good news indeed
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533 comments
+ add your ownWhat kind of parents do these sub humans have?
They are sick people. I cannot imagine what they would be able to do in the future with other animals and persons! Let them in jail please!
Did they serve some time in jail? Does anybody know it?
It has to stop, somewhere
fyi: serial killers often display their violent tendencies by harming animals, killing animals before proceeding to harming/killing humans ... Look back at the history of many serial killers and you will discover that they harmed animals first.....
psychopath
Sure, animals are not human beings, but they are living beings. Animals suffer like people. Drowning these poor kittens is as cruel as drowning a baby or a grown-up for me. Human victim or animal victim, the punishments should be the same.
I think there is a difference in what constitutes "commonplace" behaviours in order to "get rid of" unwanted animals IN TIMES PAST and what is considered ethically and morally okay in today's society. One has to think that these boys have grown up not being taught to respect and care for animals - and that presumably has arisen from their own family or community. BTW, the lawyer in question was just doing his job - regardless of whether we agree with him. He might not have liked what the boys did, but they have a right to representation. Fortunately, the judge tossed out his "argument"!
The attorney is a moron. This is rightfully a felony, and he had a lot of nerve trying to downplay the actions as just 'inappropriate'. These little bastard shitbags are teens. They are old enough to know right from wrong. Anyone over the age of three should have been taught already that it is unacceptable to hurt animals or other humans.
YES !!! Finally an intelligent & morally sound decision. I pray that the IDIOTIC attorney is denied any appeal requests.
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