A St. Louis man pleaded guilty to hitting a kitten so hard, that it had to be euthanized. He'll serve probation for the cruel deed.
On December 9, 2013, Andres Wiltz brought a five-month-old, short-hair feline into the St. Louis Cat Clinic. According to a probable cause statement, "the feline was pale, cold, and straining to breathe." Veterinarians determined that the suffering kitty had a bruised chest, a large hematoma on its kidney and a torn lung.
The animal docs took x-rays, too. That showed a broken pelvis and broken ribs. The kitten was too far gone, and the decision was made to put it to sleep.
Asked what happened, Wiltz, 23, said he tried to discipline the cat. His methods apparently involved hitting a small animal several times to near death. Police were called, and Wiltz was charged with felony animal abuse.
See also: Missouri Critter Hoarder Convicted of 75 Counts of Animal Abuse
"The defendant purposely caused injury or suffering to a feline and the suffering caused was the result of torture consciously inflicted by the defendant while the animal was alive," the Circuit Attorney's office said at the time.
But on Monday, Wiltz struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of animal abuse and was given a one-year suspended jail sentence, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Wiltz will now do a two-year, unsupervised probation stint and attend counseling, as well as an animal-care class during his first year of probation.
The judge also said Wiltz can't own pets anymore.
See Also: Photos: Animal Cruelty in Missouri and Rescues from Abuse
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