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Sick elderly cat abandoned Princeton, NJ (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Sep 1, 2011 County: Mercer
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Norman Hostler
A Princeton Township man was charged with animal cruelty this week for allegedly not taking care of his pet cat and abandoning the elderly animal.
Norman Hostler, 71, of Reddington Circle, plead guilty to one count of animal cruelty on Tuesday morning.
He admitted dumping a domestic short hair cat, which had not had medical attention in its 20-year life, said Mark Johnson, animal control officer. "It was being abandoned for financial reasons," he said.
Mr. Hostler was given a $250 fine and ordered to pay back $443 to the township for veterinary services and euthanization of the animal because it was so sick. He was also ordered to give up his other elderly cat, which has medical problems, said Mr. Johnson. That animal will be going to one of his relatives, according to animal control.
A charge of abandonment was dismissed.
"It's tough these days, but as pet owners we hope they would try and take care of their pets," said David Henry, health officer and oversees animal control. "The priority part was not caring for the pet. The main focus was the cat was not being adequately fed or cared for. We always try and encourage people to be responsible pet owners."
"It's an unfortunate situation," added Mr. Henry. References |