A woman from northeastern Pennsylvania begins her trial today on charges of piercing the bodies of three stray cats so that she could sell them online as “Gothic Kittens”.
Holly Crawford, 35, of Ross Township, PA stands accused of cruelty to animals and criminal conspiracy.
Crawford’s home, located just outside of Wilkes-Barre, was raided in December 2008 after the SPCA of Luzerne County got a tip that she was selling the animals online for hundreds of dollars.
Prosecutors say that when police searched Crawford’s home, they found and seized three kittens with neck, ear, tail piercings. At least one of the animals had a ring clamped to its tail to prevent blood flow, allowing the tail to eventually fall off.
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Crawford’s lawyer said Monday that there was no evidence his client acted “wantonly and maliciously.”
“Why is it a crime to pierce a cat’s ears?” said attorney John Pike.
In 2009, Crawford stated that she didn’t see any difference between piercing a cat and piercing a human.
“When I did it, it wasn’t with any cruel intentions,” she said. “They were definitely loved, well fed, no fleas, clipped nails. And they were happy.”
She maintains that she used sterilized needles on the cats and made sure they weren’t bleeding.
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- Trial set to begin for woman who pierced kittens (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
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