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Case #11577 Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Kitten kicked to death
Troy, NY (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jun 18, 2007
County: Rensselaer
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Dennis Christensen
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
Troy police arrested Dennis Christensen on June 18, 2007 after being tipped off that he killed a kitten. Christensen lives in the basement apartment of 407 First Street.
In a voluntary statement to police, he admits killing six week old Creamsicle after the kitten went to the bathroom on the floor. He said, "I got mad and I kicked the cat. The cat hit the door jam after I kicked it and that was it. The cat didn't move after that." Christensen goes on to say that he tried to resuscitate the cat and cried over its death. When he couldn't pump life back into its body, he threw it in the garbage.
"A baby is really what this kitten was. It's just heart wrenching to think about how this animal suffered," said Mohawk and Hudson Humane Society Director Brad Shear. "It's disturbing that someone would allegedly do this to a defenseless six week old kitten," said Rensselaer County District Attorney Patricia DeAngelis.
Christensen remains at the Rensselaer County Jail in lieu of a thousand dollars bail. If the District Attorney has her way, this is where he'll stay. DeAngelis said she's not going to offer a plea deal and her office is pushing for the max under Buster's Law, two years in local jail, which is less than other felonies. "Normally, Ken, what you face is one and a third to four years on the lowest level felony, but that's not true in this case," DeAngelis said.
The District Attorney said she hopes this case will deter further animal abuse, which she said is a growing problem in Rensselaer County. Something Brad Shear knows all too well. "It's probably very under reported. There's more than we know. But like I said, there's always a case happening. Every week something is happening to an animal," Shear said. That's why DeAngelis is forming a county-wide Animal Protection Coalition made up of police officers, vets and expert volunteers to help crack down on accused animal abusers. She says studies have shown these criminals are likely to commit other violent crimes.
Case UpdatesA 45-year-old city man will spend a year in jail after pleading guilty Tuesday in Rensselaer County Court to kicking his 6-week-old kitten, Creamsicle, to death in June.
Dennis Christensen of 407 First St. pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, when he appeared before County Judge Patrick J. McGrath.
McGrath immediately sentenced Christensen to a year in the Rensselaer County Jail and ordered that he surrender his two cats and prohibited him from having any pets for five years. Christensen also will pay $200 in restitution to the district attorney's office and pay the cost of the necropsy on the kitten.
"This outcome should serve as a warning to anyone who would abuse animals," District Attorney Patricia A. DeAngelis said.
Christensen admitted to kicking the tiny kitten after she failed to defecate in her litter box, according to county prosecutors.
In a statement about the incident, Christensen described the kitten as "my little Creamsicle." He added that he tried resuscitate her by "blowing in its mouth."
Christensen told police he disposed of the cat by placing the body in a garbage can.
"I did shed tears over this and I'm sorry for what I did," he said in the statement.
DeAngelis said the incident is one of several animal cruelty cases her office is now handling.
"Since establishing the county-wide Animal Abuse Task Force, we have investigated several cases which have led to arrests throughout the county and this office will continue to aggressively prosecute animal abuse cases," DeAngelis said.
Assistant District Attorney William Roberts prosecuted the case. | Source: Times-Union - Sept 19, 2007
Update posted on Sep 24, 2007 - 2:48PM |
References« NY State Animal Cruelty Map
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