| Case ID: 17130 |
| Classification: Mutilation/Torture |
| Animal: cat |
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| Prosecutor(s): | Jennifer Bober |
| Defense(s): | Kelly A Casper |
| Judge(s): | Mimi Cooper |
For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010
County: HarfordCharges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Megan Dawn Wagoner
A Havre de Grace area woman pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges Wednesday after killing and skinning a cat in March.
Megan Dawn Wagoner, 19, of the 4100 block of Oak Drive in the Webster Village neighborhood, was charged in September with inflicting animal cruelty and mutilating an animal in connection with an incident that took place in March.
Wagoner found a cat, and because it didn't have any identification indicating it belonged to anyone, she told police she thought it was okay to kill it, according to the statement of probable cause that the prosecutor read into the record during the court proceeding.
Wagoner skinned the cat and said she wanted to make it into something else. She also cut herself.
When police arrived, they found the cat's skin under a heat lamp in Wagoner's basement.
Wagoner pleaded guilty to the charges and entered a three-year term with the mental health diversion program in Harford County District Court.
This was not the first time Wagoner was charged with animal cruelty. In 2008, when she was 17, Wagoner was found delinquent in an animal cruelty case, according to Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Bober.
Bober asked that as a condition of probation and participation in the program, Wagoner have no contact with any animals because of the "recurring theme" of mistreating animals.
A member of Wagoner's family told District Court Judge Mimi Cooper that there was a problem with that condition because they have cats and dogs at home.
Cooper then ordered Wagoner not to have any contact with any animals except the family pets until the judge can revisit the issue Jan. 12.
After Wednesday's proceeding came to a close, however, Wagoner's lawyer returned to notify Cooper that one of the family cats is pregnant.
Cooper asked Wagoner to return to the courtroom and told her that no contact with animals not currently in the home includes the expected kittens. If the pregnant cat is not removed from their home before it delivers, Cooper said, Wagoner will be in violation of the judge's order.
References
- « MD State Animal Cruelty Map
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