11-year-old boy in Florida arrested and charged with animal cruelty after he repeatedly threw and kicked the family cat
According to an October 4 Port St. Lucie PD Twitter post, an 11-year-old boy in Florida was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after he repeatedly threw and kicked the family cat.
The boy, who remains unidentified due to his age, was upset with Ray the cat for leaving feces in his room. The video footage was captured by a neighbor showing the boy in his front yard tossing the cat into the air and kicking the cat.
The video soon made its way onto social media. Two cats and a bird were removed from the home.
It’s possible but not confirmed that both family cats may have been victims of animal cruelty. The boy was taken to a Juvenile Assessment Center where he’ll be evaluated.
A new law that just went into effect October 1 may help protect cats like Ray. Ponce’s Law, named after a puppy, will allow judges to court order those convicted of animal cruelty from owning pets. Ponce was a Labrador retriever puppy found beaten to death in Ponce Inlet in 2017. The puppy’s owner, Travis Archer, is awaiting trial on felony animal cruelty charges.
More than 80,000 people signed a petition to change the animal cruelty law that was introduced by state Rep. Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach).
A law against ownership in animal torture cases would help many animals but only if it’s enforced. As for children who abuse animals, the family, as well as the court system, should take the issue seriously and not give excuses saying the child will “grow out of it.”
Below is the Twitter post stating details of the arrest.
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