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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On second thoughts, extend this protective anonymity of the boy, and reserve a place for him and his family in an oubliette.
Just checked out the meaning of ‘oubliette’. Agree with your assessment 🙂
😼 We know it makes sense! Cheap for the tax payer too.
Our modern cell phones should make miscreants think twice before acting on their base instincts.
Full investigation by child services needs to happen. Parents need to be charged with animal abuse also. Somehow I doubt this was the first incident just the one caught on tape.
I wish we had Animal Control when my niece was younger and around here all the time. I would have had her get the treatment she so badly needed and the rest of my husband’s low life family charged with animal abuse. I’ve gotten them three times now for abuse and they’re still allowed to have animals and livestock.
I hope both cats survived.
Cats pooping in bedrooms usually indicates a very stressed out cat.
Shame on the rubbish parents, they can bask in the fame their vile son brings them when he starts beating up on dates/partners/children.
Agreed a cat is not going to poop outside his litter box unless it does not have access to the litter box, it’s filthy nasty dirty, or he is stressed out. And that’s only if the kid story is true. Which it probably isn’t. I’m sure he’s already a career liar. Looking for some excuse to get himself out of trouble. The article says they only took two cats and a bird and they’re removing all the animals, I can’t imagine why they have it removed all of them already. The parents need to be charged and go to jail and be fined and the kid needs to be locked away never to be let loose again.