Mayor Resigns Over Kitten

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-02-15 10:00:00 UTC
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A mayor in England plans to resign from office after the death of his kitten led to a sentencing of community service, fines, and an 18 month ban on keeping animals.

Edwin Watt-Ruffell, mayor of a seaside town in Kent, neglected to provide flea treatment and, when a flea allergy caused the five-week-old kitten's health to deteriorate, he didn't bother to call a veterinarian. Instead, when his kitten collapsed, Watt-Ruffell took his pet and fled from witnesses and the RSPCA.

By the time the mayor reappeared with the kitten, it was too late. RSPCA inspectors said that vet care could have easily saved the animal's life.

Government officials don't tend to stay in office too long once they've been convicted of a crime, and killing a kitten certainly doesn't help approval ratings. The town will be better off once Watt-Ruffell resigns, and not only because of his court-ordered community service. If a man can watch his own kitten suffer, how much empathy could he have for his constituents?

Photo credit: josephsardin

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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