Man throws 8-week old kitten to pack of dogs
- by: Katie Tofano
- recipient: William Wilkes, The Honorable, Judge - Criminal Division, Clay County, Fl.
On August 30, 2006, in Clay County, Florida, James Jared Rutland, committed a cruel and senseless act on a defenseless 8-week old kitten.
By signing this petition we are asking that the maximum sentence be handed down.
Florida's State Animal Cruelty Law Provisions:
Maximum of 5 years in prison; Maximum fine of $10,000; Defendants found guilty of "intentional" cruelty must pay a minimum fine of $2,500; Psychological counseling and anger management treatment is mandatory for acts of intentional torture and torment.
By signing this petition we are asking that the maximum sentence be handed down.
Florida's State Animal Cruelty Law Provisions:
Maximum of 5 years in prison; Maximum fine of $10,000; Defendants found guilty of "intentional" cruelty must pay a minimum fine of $2,500; Psychological counseling and anger management treatment is mandatory for acts of intentional torture and torment.
A witness says it was in retaliation for asking him to stop speeding on a dirt road.
By JESSIE-LYNNE KERR, The Times-Union
A Clay County man faces felony charges in a bizarre animal cruelty case in which he is accused of throwing a kitten into a pack of dogs.The investigating officer, an animal lover with 26 years in law enforcement, called the incident "most heinous and without reason."
Authorities said the attack, which killed the kitten, was apparently in retaliation for the dogs' owner having complained about a pickup truck speeding down the dirt road.
James Jared Rutland, 22, was arrested Tuesday after an investigation by Clay County Sheriff's Office detective Annie Henderson, who is assigned to the animal crimes division. He was being held Wednesday in the county jail under a $25,000 bail on a charge of cruelty to animals, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The attack happened Aug. 30 in the front yard of a Valhalla Street home.
"To me, this was just ridiculous and an intentional act to shock these individuals," Henderson said, "all because they asked him to stop speeding up and down the road and to stop throwing beer bottles in their yard."
Witnesses said a man pulled up to the house with a kitten about 8 weeks old, "whistled to the dogs to call them to his truck and then threw the kitten out the window at them," Henderson said.
John Padgett, 36, the dogs' owner, called police right after the attack. He said his mother, Jannie Padgett, 54, was with his son, Collie Padgett, 4, when they saw the attack and yelled for him.
"It was horrible," Jannie Padgett said. "The little kitty was just screaming before it died. I've never seen anybody do anything like that before. And my little grandson, Collie, he was just so upset. He loves animals and he kept telling us we needed to take the kitty to the vet to bring it back to life."
She said her son had asked Rutland, who stays with his family at a house around the corner, to stop speeding down the dirt road because of the Padgetts' two small children. They have another toddler, not quite 2.
"This was retaliation for my son asking him to slow down and stop throwing the beer bottles," Jannie Padgett said. "My son spoke to his dad, and a week later this happened."
The driver laughed as he drove away after the attack, Jannie Padgett said.
Rutland told authorities he had the kitten in his truck and that the dogs attacked his truck, causing the kitten to fly out the window at the dogs.
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