Gothic Kittens Go From eBay to Court

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-02-03 15:00:00 UTC
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In late 2008, three stray kittens probably thought they had a good thing going when they were taken in by a professional groomer. Then their not-so-good Samaritan decided to give them body piercings and sell them on ebay as "gothic kittens" for hundreds of dollars.

The local SPCA received a tip from someone who saw the listing. Humane officers raided Holly Crawford's northeastern Pennsylvania home, seized the kittens -- who had ear, neck and tail piercings -- and charged Crawford with animal cruelty. Crawford's trial began on Tuesday.

"Why is it a crime to pierce a cat's ears?" asked attorney John Pike.

I can think of a long list of responses, but you would think the tail piercing on one of the cats that cut off blood flow and caused the tail to fall off would be enough of an answer. Nonetheless, Crawford headed to court, insisting that she didn't intend any cruelty. The groomer said she used sterilized needles and made sure the kittens were healing properly.

Maybe she deluded herself into thinking that the piercings were "cute" and that she wasn't harming the kittens in any way. But how did her fantasy of happy loved cats extend to selling them on ebay? Shelters around the country suspend the adoption of black cats close to Halloween, fearing pranks and Satanic rituals. What sort of person did Crawford think was going to bid hundreds of dollars online for a pierced kitten?

Photo credit: dougwoods

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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