Calls for cat killer to get longer in jail
A petition has been launched calling for a longer sentence for a Shropshire man who killed a cat and a puppy after they messed on the carpet.
More than 2,500 people have signed the demand for Quade Roy Adam to be dealt with more harshly.
Adams, 22, was jailed for 12 weeks after he was found guilty of two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a cat and one of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog.
He had denied the charges saying he believed they died from inhaling chemicals from a cleaning fluid after he put them in the shower .
District judge Nigel Cadbury heard that the animals died in February last year. He also imposed a five year ban on Adams, of Station Road, Weston Rhyn near Oswestry, from keeping animals.
During the court hearing last week Mr Stephen Scully for Adams said his client was possibly on the autistic spectrum and would not cope well with prison.
The case had been brought to court by the RSPCA after the animals – a five-month-old toy poodle called Emi and a seven-month-old cat named Toast – died on February 13 last year.
The sentence prompted Jemma King from Aberyswyth to launch a petition on the change.org internet site.
She said: "Such abuse of animals should not be tolerated in a humane civilised society and by giving Adams such a token custodial sentence, the courts have effectively condoned his actions.
"It is up to people to protect the rights of animals who cannot speak for themselves and who are defenceless in the face of monstrous violence.
"We would like to see a more appropriate punishment and petition for a lifetime ban of animal ownership."
By Friday the petition had been signed by 2,533 people from across Britain.
They included Robbie Broome from Shrewsbury who wrote: I'm signing this because I'm against animal cruelty. I see this as murder just because it's dog or an animal it doesn't mean that someone has the right to take their life - it's like taking a child's life ."
Ryan Doherty from Telford said: "Animal cruelty is the lowest form of any physical violence of any nature. "
Olivia Hanley from Llangollen said: "It is very wrong for someone to do this. He should be sentenced more harshly and given psychiatric help."
