Earthlings

Police Arrest Cat Owner for Cruelty

Percy Love

Chicago - Percy Love, a 22-year-old Southwest Side resident was arrested Monday afternoon after officers witnessed him take a running start and kick his black cat named Nightmare into the air. The cat, just under a year old, went flying 15-18 feet high and Love ran after the feline with both hands in the air in the "field goal" gesture. As he ran towards the cat, officers noted that he was also laughing with enjoyment.

Currently held on $50,000 bail, Love's charged with one count of animal cruelty. He told the arresting officers, "This is my cat Nightmare. He is tough, we play like that all the time -- it's just a cat."

Nightmare

Chicago's Animal Care and Control representative Cherie Travis stated how though the kitten didn't suffer any life-threatening injuries, vets are still performing X-rays to insure no internal damage has occurred to the cat.

During a hearing January 24, the court gave Animal Care and Control ownership of Nightmare.  Travis said she had high hopes for Nightmares' possible adoption.

"He's a very friendly cat, hopefully he'll be up for adoption soon," she said.

Ireland Takes Steps Against Puppy Mills

Ireland - After years of campaigning by animal rights groups the country has decided to make a step forward and stop unsanitary puppy mills.

Formerly known as the Puppy Farm of Europe, the country passed two laws known as the Dog Breeding Establishment Act and the Welfare of Greyhounds Act.

The legislation doesn't shut down all puppy mills, just the ones that are unregistered or have the dogs produced in horrible conditions not fit for a rat much less any animal bigger than one.  Veterinarians near puppy mills are required to inspect all of the ones currently in operation and if they find a place where the sanitary conditions are not met they are able to immediately shut down the kennels.

Breeders must also have all of their dogs microchipped so if the authorities trace the dog back to whoever bred them and prosecute them if needed.

McDonald's Drops Egg Suppliers Over Health Concerns

Chicago – McDonald's dropped an egg supplier after the Food and Drug Administration found it to have “filthy conditions and unacceptable rodent activity.” An animal rights group, Mercy for Animals, also exposed the inhumane treatment of the chickens.

After inspecting five egg facilities, in Iowa, Minnesota, and Colorado, the FDA issued a warning to Sparboe Farms saying there were “serious violations” of a law put into place to prevent the spread of salmonella.

McDonald's vice president, Bob Langert, released a statement today saying the choice to let go of Sparboe Farms was out of “concern regarding the management of Sparboe's facilities.” Mercy for Animals was also a factor in the decision after the group released a tri-state three-month-long investigation of its farms.

“Wired with a pin-hole camera,” Mercy for Animals executive director Nathan Runkle said, the worker “documented repeated cases of animal abuse and neglect.”

The video, posted here on Youtube and here on their site, shows dead and live chickens in the same enclosure, chicks with broken beaks, talk of workers abusing the animals, and live chickens being discarded with dead ones in plastic bags.

Odd Stories: Man Punches Dog

Aliquippa, Pennsylvania – After trying to start a fight with his grandmother's 15-year-old dog, Nicholas Wooddell was arrested for cruelty to animals and disorderly conduct.

After he recently was asked to leave his grandmother's house, Wooddell appeared at the home banging on the door. After he entered the house he punched the dog for seemingly no reason and then left.