Free Cats Ad in Paper Leads to Kitten Being Used in Video Showing it Killed by a Pit Bull: Video Later Shown at Pennsylvania Area Vocational School

I’ve said this over and over – “free to good home” ads are just a magnet for animal abusers. They also lead to animals ending up in testing facilities as bunchers or hoarders scour these ads to find animals to sell to laboratories. NEVER give an animal away for free to just anyone. ALWAYS do a background check and visit the home of the person. ALSO, have them sign a contract saying they only intend to have the animal as a companion and not abuse it or sell it for any purpose, including, but not limited to – selling it to a facility that performs vivisection or animal testing.

Here are the facts of this case:

Police say the four defendants obtained the kitten from a "free cats" ad in the newspaper and picked it up in "the area of Louther Street" in Carlisle, the girl reportedly told state troopers.

The girl, who is apparently Metcalf’s ex-girlfriend, filmed the fight in the basement of his Burgners Mill Road home Feb. 28, police allege.

The video shows someone knocking a kitten from the basement rafters with a broomstick and another man holding the pit bull and trying to agitate it while a third man watches.

An affidavit describes the dog killing the kitten by clamping it in its mouth and shaking it. After the kitten died, the defendants allegedly threw its body in the back yard, police say.

Article:

Animal cruelty charges filed

By John Hilton, May 2, 2006

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/
2006/05/03/news/news25.txt

State police at Carlisle have filed animal cruelty charges against four people who allegedly made a video of a kitten being killed by a pit bull that was shown to students at Cumberland-Perry Area Vocational Technical School.

Three Newville-area men — Gavyn Metcalf, 18, Ronald Airesman, 21, and Matthew Conklin, 20 — and a 15-year-old girl have each been charged with animal fighting and cruelty to animals.

The felony fighting charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine. The girl, a Big Spring High School student, is charged as a minor.

From ‘free cats’ ad

Police say the four defendants obtained the kitten from a "free cats" ad in the newspaper and picked it up in "the area of Louther Street" in Carlisle, the girl reportedly told state troopers.

The girl, who is apparently Metcalf’s ex-girlfriend, filmed the fight in the basement of his Burgners Mill Road home Feb. 28, police allege.

The video shows someone knocking a kitten from the basement rafters with a broomstick and another man holding the pit bull and trying to agitate it while a third man watches.

An affidavit describes the dog killing the kitten by clamping it in its mouth and shaking it. After the kitten died, the defendants allegedly threw its body in the back yard, police say.

Police say the girl showed images from the attack to fellow vo-tech students in late March. When police interviewed the girl about the video, they said she didn’t apologize or show emotion about the attack.

The Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area also is investigating the case.

Humane society officer William Sandstrom says investigators have conducted interviews with all four suspects.