A 19-year old female has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, which a felony that if convicted carries a maximum sentence of up to two years.
Before we continue, we must add that while some of the events contained in this article may seem bizarre, they are a factual representation of a true event that occurred within a large metropolitan city, and was first reported in one of its major newspapers. The names are being withheld due to privacy concerns of the parties.
It all began with the purchase of a hamster for the 19-year olds’ 9-year old brother. Her older brother, who is 25 and at the time was angered over something, had intentionally kicked the ball that the original hamster was in, which in turn threw the hamster from the ball. As a result of this action, the hamster died, the New York Criminal Lawyer was told.
The 25-year old brother, having felt absolutely horrible about what had just happened sought to make things right for his younger brother and bought him three new hamsters. While this may seem like the right thing for him to do, his 19-year old sister did not think too much of this and in the process she picked up one of the hamsters and “slammed it to the floor.” The hamster, of course, died on impact due to “blunt force trauma and liver damage.”
Thas yet to discover how the local animal society or local law enforcement first learned of this incident, but we had the chance to ask one local official about the incident. The local animal society told the New York Criminal Lawyer that animal cruelty laws apply to all animals regardless of size, and that the felony charge against the 19-year old female, as well as two additional misdemeanor charges of torturing animals and endangering the welfare of a child will also be pursued. Charges have not been filed against the 25-year old son.
The hamsters are no longer staying with the family. They were taken to a friend of the 25-year old son for safekeeping.
Criminal law can often take many twists and turns. Whether you or a loved one has been convicted of a drug crime, a weapons charge or DWI, it is important to ensure that your rights are protected at all times.