This is the story of a Missouri mother who recently went to jail over the family cat. Andrea Boenker, a resident of Wentzville, was arrested recently, all because her then 2-year-old daughter let the new family cat out of the house. For those of you unfamiliar with the area, Wentzville is a city located in western St. Charles County and has a population of around 30,000.
Andrea is the mother of two daughters and a nurse. Her story began last summer when the family got a new cat. Thriller, a black and white beauty, was let out of the house by Andrea’s daughter Morgan , who was only two at the time. Thriller ended up at the local shelter. Andrea went down to the shelter, where she paid the fines to the shelter and the city to bail Thriller out of kitty jail. She thought that was the end of things.
Andrea recently got the shock of her life when she came home from work and her husband told her two police officer’s had come to their home with a warrant for her arrest. There was an outstanding animal at large ticket, which is given when someone violates a leash law. Many areas now consider cats running free illegal, and not only pertaining to dogs. So Andrea went down to the local police station to clear things up about their cat. The doors locked behind her when she went inside the station, and Andrea was informed she was under arrest.
The problem started when Andrea says a clerk and an alderman told her she wouldn’t have to go to court if she paid the fines. Apparently the information given Andrea was unreliable, and Andrea missed the court date because she was told she didn’t have to show up. She admits receiving the notice to appear, but disregarded it. The warrant the officer’s had come to serve was a “failure to appear,” meaning she had failed to show up for court, which automatically puts you on the bench warrant roster. Sometimes it takes awhile to be served, due to there being so many people out there committing small crimes that police don’t have the manpower to deliver warrants in a timely manner for minor offenses.
Andrea was in jail for less than three hours, but she wants to warn others out there of how little it takes to get locked up these days. KSDK5 News spoke with the mayor of Wentzville, who admitted there are problems with cats being on the animal ordinance. He said the board of alderman will be discussing kinks in the system in the near future.
Meanwhile, Andrea now has a criminal record. If she’s never been in trouble with the law before, she can likely get it expunged by a circuit court judge. I wanted to do this article because so many cat lovers who reside outside the United States don’t realize some of the lame laws we have to put up with. It’s illegal to allow a cat outside unsupervised in many areas. Cat owners who live within city limits usually have more strict rules than those living in a country environment. I wanted to share Andrea’s story so no more cat ladies have to spend time in jail over an escaped cat. If you ever get a citation for animal at large, be sure you know what you’re required to do, and be sure that information comes from a dependable source.
I’m curious what the readers here think of this, especially those living outside the U.S.
Lauri, what you appear to be saying is that animal rights people are working against animal rights. I don’t understand that. You say that horses were rounded up and slaughtered. How can that benefit animal rights? Could you could explain to me why the abolishment of the human/animal interaction is on the agenda of animal rights activists? Sorry if I sound stupid but all these things seem to work against animal rights not for them. Thankfully, by the way-much appreciated.
The problem in America is the animal rights movement which has hundreds of millions of dollars and uses our legislative process to get their bills passed and laws passed that attack our use of animals on every level. What is not fully understood is that the REAL agenda of the animals rights activists is to abolish the human/animal interaction completely. The mindset is so sick that they believe it is better for animals to die than be in the captivity of man. Groups like the Humane Society of the United States have even infiltrated our schools, and are indoctrinating our children into a VEGAN way of life. They attack our agriculture, driving the price of food up. They attack the pet owner and breeder with laws and regulations, illegal seizure…oh it is quite despicable the tactics they use. They are laying a legal framework and a psychological belief system that can only end up with the extinction of untold numbers of species and breeds. If you doubt me, look at ALL the ISSUES AGAINST Horses, from wild horses in the west being rounded up and sent to slaughter, to carriage horses in NYC, to yes, even horse racing….go on, put those strings into your search engine, find out the real problems in america are that the people are being eaten alive by special interests that are ONLY in it for money!! They care very little about what is best for animals. If every domestic animal was spayed or neutered… how long till there are no more pets? And eventually it will affect the whole world.
Exactly, Harvey.
It’s miserable for cats and people both.
Absolutely crazy, the law gone mad. Maybe I can just about understand the “leash law” being applied to dogs, that makes sense but as Harvey pointed out it’s madness to expect anyone to never, ever, ever let their cat out by mistake and hardly a serious crime. I feel so sorry for cats in situations like that, never to feel the sun on their backs or the grass under their paws.
I wonder how a person is supposed to be able to keep a cat indoors whilst going about all the normal house-hold chores which entail going in and out the house numerous times a day, often carrying things, It means freedom of movement is restricted and controlled virtually turning your house into a prison. Cats can escape given only half a second of an opportunity and will not come back until they are ready. These laws are imposing conditions that are impossible to comply with. For the people who pass this legislation that doesn’t matter. The important thing for them is to harass and intimidate the general population.
Yes, the main road from St. Louis! I am an Englishman.