People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked the State Attorney's Office on Dec 7 to prosecute a Starke man who is accused of poisoning two of his neighbor's cats in November.
PETA caseworker Daniel Paden urged the office to "vigorously prosecute" 58-year-old Thomas Paul Gross. Gross faces charges of two counts of animal cruelty for allegedly poisoning the cats with antifreeze last month, according to a sworn complaint filed with the Starke Police Department.
Two bowls of antifreeze were found on Nov. 21 near Gross' house at 612 S. Epperson St., police reported. Gross told police that he was tired of the cats defecating on his lawn.
In its letter, PETA asked that if Gross is convicted, that he be prohibited from ever owning or harboring animals, that authorities seize any animals in his custody, and he be required to undergo a psychological evaluation and mandatory counseling. Case UpdatesThomas Paul Gross, is the subject of a sworn complaint filed with the State Attorney's office on November 30, 2005. An office spokesperson says a decision on whether to press charges could come within two weeks.
Gross declined to comment on the matter when confronted by a WCJB at his home. Veterinary lab tests performed on two of Foster's cats indicate the cause of death as consumption of ethylene glycol, an antifreeze ingredient.
Gross hasn't explicitly said the antifreeze was his or if he intended to kill the cats, but the police report notes he told an investigator, "he was tired of the cats always being at his house and defecating on his lawn." | Source: WCJB News - December 7, 2005
Update posted on Dec 12, 2005 - 4:39PM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
|
