A mother cat went into labor while being chased by two 11 year old boys at a Las Vegas apartment complex on Russell and Fort Apache. As she tired out, panting, she gave birth to six kittens, all while being pelted with rocks and laughed at by the boys.
Witnesses reported the incident to Animal Control, which in turn contacted Metro for further investigation. The 11 yr. old boys were taken into custody a few days ago, and today, a judge released them to their parents with ankle monitoring bracelets until they enter a plea on October 30th. They are facing seven felony counts of animal cruelty, along with 30 days of detention and probation.
Stacia Newman of Nevada Politics for Animals has been at the apartment complex everyday trying to find the mother cat. The kittens were taken to a nearby pet hospital, but couldn't be saved due to the amount of torture. "It's another case of extreme animal cruelty and we have to send a message to the community that this will not be tolerated." With election coming up, she encourages voters to go to the website, Nevada Political Action For Animals.org and read about the Animal Friendly Candidates who will make a difference in passing laws for the rights of animals. Steve Sisolak, Clark County Commissioner is one of the candidates, and when he heard about this case, vowed to make sure these juveniles are punished to the full extent of the law. Thanks to Cooney's Law, it is now a felony in Las Vegas for animal abuse, but we still have a long way to go.
Psychologists say our character is usually developed by age seven. If these two 11 year old boys are not punished or get the help they need, the "thrill of the kill" will slowly grow until they satisfy themselves again.
