Case Snapshot
Case ID: 15016
Classification: Mutilation/Torture
Animal: cat
More cases in Luzerne County, PA
More cases in PA
Login to Watch this Case

New features are coming soon. Login with Facebook to get an early start and help us test them out!


Attorneys/Judges
Prosecutor(s): David Pedri
Defense(s): John Pike, Jeffrey A. Conrad
Judge(s): Paul Hadzick, Tina P. Gartley, Kate F. Elliot


Images for this Case

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.



Thursday, Dec 18, 2008

County: Luzerne

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 3 files available

Defendants/Suspects:
» Holly Ann Crawford
» William Blasett - Dismissed

Case Updates: 16 update(s) available

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals removed three kittens and a cat from a home outside Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"This is a first. It's unbelievable anybody would do this to kittens," animal protection officer Carol Morrison told the local Times Leader newspaper.

They were tipped off after a listing appeared on a website under the title "pure black, tailless, pierced, gothic kitten".

One of the creatures, named Snarley Monster, is shockingly described as "a three-month-old, floppy-eared, lovable kitten with a docked tail" in the advert.

The animal is pictured on the site with two 14-gauge ear piercings and a "submission ring" through the back of its neck.

The owner asked for offers over $400 for the kitten, the jewellery and a silk submission lead to clip onto the neck ring.

Ms Morrison said the kittens would be checked over by a vet before a decision is made on whether they will be placed in new homes.

The woman, who had a pet grooming business in the basement of her home, is expected to face charges.


Case Updates

A woman convicted of cruelty to animals in a case in which prosecutors say she pierced and docked the tails of kittens was released from the county jail on parole Monday.

Holly A. Crawford, 36, of Sweet Valley, was paroled from a three- to six-month stint at the prison after serving the minimum.

Crawford had been sentenced in August to the jail term by Judge Tina Polachek Gartley after violating the terms of her probation when she was charged with a possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia charge in Wyoming County.

Crawford had been convicted in February 2010 of one misdemeanor and one summary count of cruelty to animals, and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and one year, three months probation. Crawford appealed her conviction, but it was upheld by the state Superior Court in June.

Polachek Gartley said Crawford would be released Monday pending any other detainers, and that she must get a fulltime job, attend Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every week and complete 50 hours of community service.
Source: timesleader.com - Nov 15, 2011
Update posted on Nov 15, 2011 - 10:15PM 
A Luzerne County woman found guilty last year of animal cruelty for piercing kittens' ears and bobbing their tails was charged with drug possession on Wednesday, state police at Tunkhannock said.

Holly Crawford, 36, of Sweet Valley was found in Noxen Township in Wyoming County with suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia as police were investigating a crash that occurred on Tuesday, investigators said. She was taken to Wyoming County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,500 bail.

Crawford gained notoriety when she used a 14-gauge needle to pierce kittens' ears and necks and banded their tails in an attempt to market them online as "gothic." A jury found her guilty of one count of animal cruelty in February 2010. As part of her sentence handed down by Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley in April 2010, Crawford had to serve six months of house arrest and close her grooming shop, Pawside Parlor, for at least two years as she completed probation.

State police also indicated Crawford is being held on a Luzerne County probation violation.
Source: citizensvoice.com - Jul 29, 2011
Update posted on Jul 29, 2011 - 6:28PM 
A Pennsylvania appeals court has upheld the animal cruelty conviction of a woman who pierced kittens' ears, necks and tails to make them into "gothiccats" she planned to sell on eBay.

Although piercing is not explicitly outlawed, such treatment of animals clearly constitutes torture and infliction of intense pain prohibited by the state's animal cruelty law, the Superior Court found according to an opinion handed down Tuesday.

According to the opinion, Holly Crawford, a dog groomer from Sweet Valley, Luzerne County, advertised the kittens for sale on the Internet auction web site eBay for $100 with barbell earrings, "submission rings" through the scruff of their necks and tails that had been cut off and pierced at the stump.

After an investigator for an animal welfare group saw the kittens, the Pennsylvania Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals obtained a search warrant, seized the kittens in 2008 and took them to a veterinarian for examination. Crawford was charged and convicted by a jury of cruelty to animals.

Crawford served six months of house arrest and was ordered to close her grooming shop for at least two years while she completed probation, according to the Associated Press.

On appeal, Crawford argued the animal cruelty law violated her due process rights because it was too vague. Because it doesn't specifically state that piercing a kitten's ears and docking its tail constitutes cruelty, Crawford had no way to know she was breaking the law, she said.

At trial, a veterinarian testified that the piercings had been performed using a 14-guage needle normally used for giving injections to cattle. She said Crawford's method for docking the kittens' tails �" cutting off the blood flow with a rubber band �" was not an accepted veterinary practice.

The veterinarian also testified that the piercings in the kittens' ears would be a source of constant irritation and those in the animals' necks would cause them to feel they were being dominated and bitten.

In a 19-page opinion that focused on the common definition of words used in the law, the three-judge Superior Court panel found that the Legislature would be hard-pressed to specify every act that constitutes cruelty and that the law should be clear to a reasonable person.

"Certainly, putting a rubber band around the tail of a kitten to cut off the circulation of blood to cause the tail to fall off or the action of putting a large needle, used to inject cattle, into the ear or neck of a three pound kitten would qualify as atrocious," President Judge Emeritus Kate Ford Elliot wrote.

Crawford's attorney Jeffrey A. Conrad of Lancaster did not immediately return a call Tuesday.
Source: mcall.com - Jun 14, 2011
Update posted on Jun 14, 2011 - 7:20PM 
A Luzerne County judge wants adequate "checks and balances" in place should Holly Crawford reopen her Sweet Valley animal grooming business about a year after a jury convicted her of animal cruelty for piercing kittens' ears and bobbing their tails.

Judge Tina Polachek Gartley on Friday suggested officers from the Luzerne County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals randomly inspect Crawford's Pawside Parlor each month to make sure Crawford does not violate animal cruelty laws.

The judge also wondered whether Crawford should display a sign informing customers she has a past animal cruelty conviction.

While Crawford would willingly wear the scarlet letter of her animal cruelty conviction - "I'll make a big poster," she said. "I don't care." - she cringes at the prospect of SPCA officers visiting her home again.

"I'm not comfortable with them being anywhere near 71 Dobson Road," she said.

Crawford said she believes the SPCA overreacted when Humane Officer Carol Morrison arrived at her Ross Township home Dec. 17, 2008, bringing with her state police troopers and a television news van.

Acting upon a tip from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the investigators searched Crawford's home and basement grooming shop and seized five kittens. Three kittens had pierced ears; one's tail had been bobbed and another had a band around its tail, which was later amputated. Crawford planned to market the felines online as "gothic kittens."

Police charged Crawford with three counts of animal cruelty, and a jury convicted her of one. The strange case precipitated outrage from animal lovers and inspired a joke on "Saturday Night Live." Crawford received e-mails praying for her to go to jail and hinting she should suffer a violent end.

Crawford also lost her business for more than two years as part of the sentence handed down by Gartley. She has asked the judge to modify her probation so she can reopen Pawside Parlor.

Prosecutor David Pedri did not object but said the safeguards would include the sign and the SPCA reviews "to make sure she is not in any way, shape or form hurting animals."

Gartley will have to approve the agreement before it can take effect. She gave Pedri and Jeffrey Conrad, Crawford's attorney, 30 days to work out mutual or separate proposals that set checks and balances on Pawside Parlor. A written proposal could be filed as soon as next week, Pedri said.

Presenting his argument to Gartley, Conrad said Crawford has struggled to find employment since her conviction and that she will "never" pierce kittens' ears or dock their tails again.

Conrad also discounted more than 1,400 e-mails Gartley revealed she has received from an online petition website. The petition asks people to sign onto a form letter urging "No More Leniency for Gothic Kitten Abuser" and sends notifications to Gartley's public e-mail account when someone signs it.

That equates to "propaganda" sent by people "who don't even know the facts," Conrad said as he urged Gartley to restore Crawford's livelihood.

"To keep her away from the beloved animals doesn't really make sense at this point," he said.

Any agreement likely will hinge upon Crawford and whether she will allow the SPCA to inspect her home. She said she still distrusts the organization and considers it the "other team" as she appeals her conviction.

Waiting to open her business until her probation ends in about a year-and-a-half could be an option, Crawford said.

"I'm not sure right now," she said after huddling with her family and Conrad to talk about her options.
Source: citizensvoice.com - Feb 5, 2011
Update posted on Feb 5, 2011 - 9:57AM 
With an animal cruelty conviction hanging over Holly Crawford, the Sweet Valley woman acknowledges she worries about restarting her animal grooming business.

Her shop has been closed since April, part of the sentence handed down by Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley after a jury found Crawford's practice of piercing kittens' ears and necks and docking their tails constituted animal cruelty.

Close to two months removed from half a year of house arrest, Crawford appeared before Gartley on Wednesday to ask the judge to relax her probation and allow her to reopen her grooming shop, Pawside Parlor.

"A lot of my customers, they don't want to take their animals anywhere else," Crawford said afterward.

Crawford, 36, started the business about two years ago, setting up in the basement of her Dobson Road home.

Soon after, in December 2008, authorities searched her home on a tip from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and found three kittens with pierced ears. One kitten's tail had been docked, while another had a band around its tail, which was later amputated.

Crawford had been marketing the black kittens online as "gothic," setting in motion an animal-cruelty case that generated international attention, intense ridicule and even a joke on Saturday Night Live.

It also cost Crawford her business, which she credits with helping her turn around a life once dominated by a heroin addiction and the crimes that supported it.

Crawford filed a petition in October to relax her probation, saying she has struggled to find work since her conviction and that reopening her business would allow her to support her family, pay court costs and serve as a role model for her daughter.

"Holly has definitely paid a debt to society for this case," said her attorney, Jeffrey Conrad. "So now, it's time to move on."

Crawford laid out her case before Gartley, saying she's frustrated she cannot find work. She also said afterward that old and new customers have continued to call her about her business.

David Pedri, Luzerne County's deputy district attorney, prosecuted Crawford during trial and said Crawford intentionally inflicted pain upon the kittens. He called upon Dr. Melinda Merck, who earned national acclaim for her work on NFL quarterback Michael Vick's dog-fighting case, to say Crawford's actions equated to torture.

But Wednesday, Pedri did not object to Crawford's request, acknowledging she has met her probation requirements thus far.

"We left it to the judge's discretion," he said.

Gartley did not issue a ruling Wednesday because a scheduling error kept Conrad from attending. Conrad could still ask for another hearing.

Crawford, who is appealing, said she will have to advertise to rebuild her clientele after her conviction. Conrad hopes people give Crawford another chance after she promised in court to not pierce kittens' ears or dock their tails again.

"Society has said that's bad. Holly acknowledges that and Holly will never do that again," Conrad said. "I hope that the world will forgive her and let her go on doing what she loves, and that is care for animals and treat them properly."
Source: citizensvoice.com - Dec 2, 2010
Update posted on Dec 2, 2010 - 12:21PM 
A Luzerne County judge denied Holly Crawford's request for a new trial in the woman's high-profile gothic kitten case, though attorneys Wednesday continued to debate if piercing kittens and docking their tails constitutes animal cruelty.

Judge Tina Polachek Gartley upheld a jury's February verdict that found Crawford guilty of one count of animal cruelty and landed her a sentence of at least six months house arrest and shuttered the Sweet Valley woman's animal grooming business for more than two years.

"It's not the court's place, prerogative or ability to take away their (the jury's) discretion," Gartley said before issuing her ruling.

Crawford left the courtroom almost immediately and stood outside the door as she waited for her attorney, Jeffrey Conrad. "We figured that would happen," Crawford said. "We're still hopeful."

The case arose in December 2008, when Crawford was charged with three counts of animal cruelty after piercing kittens' ears and necks and docking their tails. She planned to sell them on eBay as "gothic kittens."

Echoing a disagreement raised during Crawford's three-day trial, Conrad said Crawford willfully pierced the kittens and docked their tails, but she did not act maliciously - required to represent animal cruelty. Prosecutor David Pedri contended Crawford inflicted pain upon the kittens, all to turn a profit.

"They cried. They were infected," Pedri said. "And Ms. Crawford continued to harass."

Crawford will appeal the verdict to the state Superior Court, said Conrad, who believes her trial attorneys, John Pike and Robert Buttner, should have let her take the witness stand.

Crawford's appeal focuses more on clearing her name, rather than eliminating her sentence, Conrad said.

"She doesn't want to fall back into the world believing she's a criminal," he said. "Because she's not."
Source: Citizen's Voice - May 13, 2010
Update posted on May 16, 2010 - 5:24PM 
A northeastern Pennsylvania woman convicted of animal cruelty for marketing "gothic kittens" with ear and neck piercings has been sentenced to six months of house arrest.

Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley also ordered 35-year-old Holly Crawford of Ross Township to close her dog grooming business for more than two years.

Gartley allowed her to keep her pets, which include a dog, three cats and three snakes.

A jury convicted Crawford in February of animal cruelty. Prosecutors alleged that Crawford pierced three black kittens because "she thought it was neat" to sell gothic kittens on the Internet. Defense attorneys argued that parents allow children to get pierced ears at young ages, and it would be wrong to hold cat owners to a higher standard.
Source: Fox News - April 14, 2010
Update posted on Apr 14, 2010 - 9:45AM 
Holly Crawford said she decided on a whim to pierce the ears and neck of a stray kitten she took in. She claimed that she docked the tail of the cat, whom she named Snarly Monster, because it was badly damaged. Snarly Monster was not intended for sale, she said.

In photos taken from Crawford's "gothic kitten" advertisements, black kittens are seen with their ears and necks pierced with 14g (1.6 millimeter) earrings, the size usually reserved for humans' tongue piercings. In one photo, a kitten's ears are weighed down by jewelry manufactured for use as belly button piercings.

A concerned animal lover saw an advertisement for the kittens, called the phone number associated with the ad and later traveled to Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre to see the kittens. He then alerted authorities, who raided the home and removed three kittens, all with piercings and at least one with a ring placed on its tail to stop blood circulation, as well as an adult cat. Authorities also reported finding a dog with pierced ears in the home.

In a previous interview with the Associated Press, Crawford said she didn't think there was a difference between piercing a cat or a human.
Source: LA Times News - February 5, 2010
Update posted on Feb 6, 2010 - 10:30PM 
A northeastern Pennsylvania woman who marketed "gothic kittens" with ear and neck piercings over the Internet has been convicted of animal cruelty.

A Luzerne County jury on Wednesday convicted 35-year-old dog groomer Holly Crawford of one misdemeanor count and one summary count of animal cruelty, but acquitted her on two separate counts. She will be sentenced March 31, 2010.

Crawford was charged in December 2008 after animal welfare officers took several kittens and a cat from her home. Deputy District Attorney David Pedri told jurors that Crawford inflicted pain on three black kittens to make money by selling "gothic kittens" on the Internet.

Defense attorneys argued that parents allow children to get pierced ears at young ages, and it would be wrong to hold cat owners to a higher standard.
Source: Washington Post - February 3, 2010
Update posted on Feb 4, 2010 - 3:27AM 
The court heard that the tiny innocent creatures were skewered with needles normally used to puncture thick cattle skin.

The 35-year-old, from Pennsylvania, is now facing animal cruelty charges as prosecutors in the US say she inflicted pain on the cats simply to make money.

But Crawford's legal team claim she was not acting maliciously.

Maimed ... the disfigured kittens were just three-months-oldHer home was raided in December 2008 after Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) bosses were tipped off about the piercings.

An anonymous caller had claimed Crawford intended to sell her 'Gothic Kittens' via eBay.

Horrified inspectors say they found three kittens that had been pierced a total of ten times.

Vet Melinda Merck told the court the ear piercings altered the cats' hearing and could have killed them.

She also said that piercings at the back of their necks and base of their tails hampered balance and jumping.

Merck added: "They were maimed and disfigured."

Similar charges against Crawford's boyfriend, William Blansett, 37, were withdrawn in February.

The trial continues.
Source: The Sun News - February 3, 2010
Update posted on Feb 3, 2010 - 6:23PM 
Ross Township resident Holly Crawford heads to trial today on six counts of animal cruelty charges. Prosecutors contend Crawford inflicted pain on three black kittens when she pierced their ears with a 14-gauge needle, bobbed two cats' tails and then planned to sell them on eBay as "gothic kittens."

Whatever verdict the 12 jurors arrive at, the case could lead to a more precise animal cruelty law.

The case began in winter 2008, when members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals discovered the "gothic kittens" on sale on eBay.
Source: The Times Tribune - February 1, 2010
Update posted on Feb 1, 2010 - 10:18PM 
A woman accused of animal cruelty for piercing the ears and necks of black kittens, docking their tails and marketing them on the Internet as gothic cats, will face the charges in Luzerne County Court.

Holly Crawford, 34, of Ross Twp., went before Senior Magisterial District Judge Paul Hadzick at a preliminary hearing Tuesday in the case that has made national headlines.

"This was tying a rubber band around a cat's tail so tight that it falls off," said Deputy District Attorney David Pedri, asking Judge Hadzick to forward the charges to county court. "She caused the cats pain. She did this to sell them to make money."

Prosecutors said Ms. Crawford, who operates a pet grooming service at her 71 Dobson Road home, would tie rubber bands around the cats' tails so they would fall off. She'd then pierce the nub to match piercings to their ears and necks.

However, defense attorney Demetrius Fannick argued state law "goes on and on" about specific acts of animal cruelty, but says nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.

"There's nothing in the statute that expressly says you can't pierce your cat's ears or necks, or even crop their tails," Mr. Fannick said.

Judge Hadzick said the case touched on a "gray area" in the law and predicted it might one day call for a clarification in state law. At the very least, he said a decision whether Ms. Crawford committed animal cruelty should be decided by a jury or a higher judge.

"I don't think that the decision is for me to be made here," Judge Hadzick said.

Ms. Crawford will face six counts of animal cruelty and three counts of conspiracy in county court. Her next court date is set for 9:30 a.m. April 24.
Source: Times-Tribune - Feb 19, 2009
Update posted on Feb 19, 2009 - 1:26PM 
An animal groomer has been ordered to stand trial on animal cruelty charges for selling "gothic kittens" with ear, neck and tail piercings.

Holly Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania was raided on December 17 after the county Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received a tip-off, according to The Citizens' Voice newspaper.

A prosecutor said Crawford inflicted pain on the cats, which were listed for sale for hundreds of dollars on the internet.

Crawford's lawyer said state law said nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Wilkes-Barre District Judge Paul Hadzick called it a gray area that needed to be decided by a trial judge or jury.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald - Feb 18, 2009
Update posted on Feb 18, 2009 - 1:09AM 
A woman who marketed "gothic kittens" with ear, neck and tail piercings over the Internet has been charged with animal cruelty and conspiracy.

Dog groomer Holly Crawford, 34, was charged Tuesday by humane officers. Her home outside Wilkes-Barre was raided Dec. 17 after the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County received a tip from PETA that she was marketing the animals online for hundreds of dollars.

Crawford has said she will plead innocent.

Crawford told The Associated Press on Thursday that she didn't see any difference between piercing a cat and piercing a human. She said she used sterile needles and surgical soap and that she checked the kittens several times a day to make sure they were healing properly.

"When I did it, it wasn't with any cruel intentions," said Crawford, of rural Ross Township. "They were definitely loved, well-fed, no fleas, clipped nails. And they were happy."

Daphna Nachminovitch, a vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, called the piercings "barbaric."

"There's no excuse for inflicting such pain on an animal that's the size of your palm," she said.

SPCA Officer Carol Morrison said the kittens had 14-gauge piercings through their ears and submission rings at the napes of their necks. One kitten's tail was docked.

Crawford, who sports her own body piercings, said she decided on a whim to pierce the ears and neck of a stray kitten she took in last fall and named Snarley Monster. She said she docked the cat's tail because it was badly damaged and that the animal was not intended for sale.

Morrison charged Crawford and William Blansett, 37, of Sweet Valley, each with three misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, three summary counts of cruelty and three counts of conspiracy.

Crawford said Blansett helped take calls about the kittens but that he had nothing to do with the piercings.

A number for Blansett could not be located.

Crawford said her dog-grooming business, Pawside Parlor, has plummeted since the raid and that she has received dozens of nasty phone calls.

"My name's ruined, my reputation's ruined, my business is ruined," she said.
Source: Associated Press via Google News - Jan 23, 2009
Update posted on Jan 24, 2009 - 3:58PM 
Two people accused of piercing the ears of kittens and auctioning them off on the Internet have been charged by humane officials.

Holly Crawford and William Blasett have been charged with six counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of criminal conspiracy.

The two allegedly marketed the "goth kittens" on eBay.com. They allegedly mutilated the cats as part of a fledgling enterprise in the expansion of their Pawside Parlor grooming business in Ross Township.

The kittens had their ears pierced with barbells and rubberbands were used to cut off circulation to their tails, making them fall off, humane officials said.

Charges were mailed to both suspects. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled.
Source: Citizen's Voice - Jan 21, 2009
Update posted on Jan 21, 2009 - 10:38PM 
Three kittens with ear, neck and tail piercings were removed from a home by humane officers on Wednesday.

One of the officers from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County said the pierced kittens were being sold as "gothic kittens" on an Internet auction site.

"This is a first," said Officer Carol Morrison. "It's unbelievable anybody would do this to kittens."

Morrison said the investigation began about a week ago when a man from another state noticed "gothic kittens" being sold on eBay. The kittens were also being sold on a pet classified Web site with an attached picture of a pierced kitten.

"You're not allowed to sell live animals on eBay," Morrison said.

The man called the phone number that was listed with the kittens, and traveled to the home at 71 Dobson Road, where he saw the pierced kittens, Morrison said.

"He called us and explained what he saw," Morrison said.

Morrison and two humane officers obtained a search warrant for the home from District Judge John Hasay in Shickshinny at about 3:30 p.m.

Assisted by the state police at Shickshinny, the humane officers traveled to the home located at the end of a long driveway in a remote area of Ross Township.

Humane officers and troopers were inside the home for more than an hour before removing three kittens and a cat just before 5:30 p.m.

"She (the homeowner) thought it was a great idea (to pierce kittens)," Morrison said.

Morrison said charges are likely to be filed against the homeowner.

A dog inside the home was also found with pierced ears, Morrison said.

Morrison said the homeowner has a pet grooming business in the basement of the residence. Several signs advertising "Pawside Parlor" were along Dobson Road and in front of the home.

The kittens also had submission rings placed in their tails, Morrison said, explaining that the rings would prevent blood flow, causing the tails to fall off.

The homeowner and a young girl were inside the home. After humane officers removed the kittens in cages, the window shades were closed and interior lights were turned off.

Morrison said the kittens will be checked by a veterinarian before deciding if the kittens will be placed for adoption.
Source: Times-Leader - Dec 18, 2008
Update posted on Dec 21, 2008 - 9:09AM 

References

  • « PA State Animal Cruelty Map
    « More cases in Luzerne County, PA

    Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

    For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.