by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)
Nirvana and Karma
Dear readers, I truly apologize for writing this story so close on the heels of the other horrible news I've had to report this week. I fear my page will be changed any day now from Elisa's Articles to Outrageous Pet Horror Stories and that's not my intention.
Note to Michael (PoC): On second thought, you may want to add another section so the readers will know they're reading a "bad cat" story. The "good cat" stories are getting so hard to come by these days.
Today's article is about a horrible man who ran over two kittens so he could have them as dinner.
I've been debating for two days on whether or not to report the story of this monster. His story is simple. He ran over two baby kittens after deciding he wanted to eat them for dinner. And the question on whether or not to report this to the readers at pictures-of-cats.org has driven me crazy since I first read the alert.
The final decision on whether or not to write this story was the fact that the man is now out of jail after posting 10% of a $20,000 bond.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as we say in the south.
Welcome to America folks. That's the way our legal system works. Post 10% of the total bond and you're free to walk the streets until trial.
Here's the case.
On Sunday, October 17, 2010, Francis McGinley, 44 of Delaware County, Pennsylvannia, allegedly ran over two four-week-old kittens, who have since been named Karma (a white female) and Nivana (her black brother). This case is so outrageous it's hard for me to put it into words.
McGinley, who has a long history of drunk and disorderly behavior, arrived home shortly after 8p.m. Sunday night carrying the injured kittens and told his three roommates he ran over the kittens with his truck so he could eat them for dinner.
The three roommates, Bridget Spicer, Holly Faulkner and Francela Jackson are credited with saving the lives of these two kittens by calling local police while McGinley sat on the bathroom toilet talking to himself while the two injured kittens lay bloodied in the bathtub.
Sgt. Charles Fell and officers William Dowd and David DeFrank responded to the call at the apartment McGinley shares with the three women in the 200 block of Edwards Street around 8:30 p.m.
Bridget Spicer explained to the officers that Francis McGinley told her "I ran these two cats over with my truck and now they're my dinner. I am going to eat them." He even made the remark to the officers "Since when was it a crime to get drunk officers?"
Needless to say he was taken into custody.
Deleware County Animal Control officer Dave Schlott rushed the two kittens to Keystone Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center on West Chester Pike in Havertown.
Justina Calgiano, director of community relations for the SPCA, verified the kittens were transferred to their facility on Monday morning.
The kittens were initially in very serious condition (especially the white baby named Karma). Baby Karma would not have survived if not for the joint effort of everyone on scene because she was barely breathing. However, they are both now responding well to treatment and are expected to survive.
If all goes well they both will be up for adoption in about a month when they are old enough and healthy enough to adopt out. I really hope someone will take them as a pair and not split them up. They've been through too much in their short lives.
I've seen nothing in the reports of anyone coming forward to claim them.
According to court records McGinley has numerous arrests for public drunkenness, being "manifestly under the influence of alcohol," driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and harassment.
He is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Spencer Seaton for a preliminary hearing Oct. 27, 2010. This is listed through petabuse.com as case number #16645 and is a vehicular charge with drugs or alcohol involved.
Judge Seaton can be reached at 160 East Seventh Street, Chester, PA, 19013 and his office phone number is 610/874/1790.
I'm so tired of these monsters being returned to the streets. I do what I can by reporting on them. I trust all of you to do what you can by keeping your cats safe from people like Francis McGinley.
Elisa
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/16645/PA/US/
A map of where this crime took place is available at the pet abuse website.