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NewslettersCharges appropriate for man accused of shooting kitten, chief says
Wed, 2008-04-30 00:10 — Anonymous
BLUFFTON -- Despite questions that have area bloggers buzzing, Bluffton's police chief said Tuesday that charges filed against a town official accused of shooting his neighbor's kitten were appropriate and in accordance with state law. Read the story here.
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This is a purrfect illustration of Stray Cat Syndrome, nationwide. People want to own cats and let them go anywhere they wish. These SAME people are the FIRST to loudly complain about an unleashed dog.
Really the solution is pretty obvious. Keep YOUR cat on YOUR property and nothing can or will happen to it, such as getting shot.
I find that anyone that shoots an innocent, harmless kitten is a complete disgrace to the human race. I find it appauling that ANYONE would justify the killing of an innocent humane animal. And let me GLADLY stand firm and reply to the ignorant statement posted by "sliique". I believe that NO cat, kitten, dog, puppy, squirrel, racoon, possum, etc., no matter how "bad" the population is, should be shot or shot at because of it's simple existence in a yard. And let me personally state that I believe there is no such thing as the "Stray Cat Syndrome", those are three simple words combined together to justify the hatred towards cats. There is a huge population of deer...and squrriels...and ANTS, so in a few months is someone going to coin the term "Too many ants syndrome"? The term is rediculous, simple as that!!! So do me a favor, don't make a statement that people should keep 'THEIR cat on THEIR property", because a animal, IS a animal, and they will venture where they will just as deer, bears, foxes, alligators, and any other animal will!!!!!!!
Also, I find it incredibly disturbing that anyone would JUSTIFY the idea of a defenseless kitten being shot twice and KILLED by a low life little man that obviously has nothing else to do with his time than kill animals. That man's fate is in the hands of the maker of that poor kitten and that allows me to sleep at night knowing that his time WILL COME!
So are we to assume you are a vegetarian?
You want to have a domesticated pet... Keep it on a freakin leash. Simple as that!
i want to see born in beaufort try to get a cat to stay on a leash.
i would much rather have a cat im my yard that a dog. cats will run from you. a dog will run after you.
im not a big dog person.. i cant stand and animal that has to be up your butt everytime you walk around the house. a cat is more content, they dont need anyone EVERY min. of the day. also they are great for caughting unwanted creapy crawlers around the house a dog will just look at it
i want to see born in beaufort try to get a cat to stay on a leash.
i would much rather have a cat im my yard that a dog. cats will run from you. a dog will run after you.
im not a big dog person.. i cant stand and animal that has to be up your butt everytime you walk around the house. a cat is more content, they dont need anyone EVERY min. of the day. also they are great for caughting unwanted creapy crawlers around the house a dog will just look at it
actually in a city lots of people take their cats down the street on leashes.
The hardest from what I understand is the elevators, but it's done everyday.
While I agree that the shooting of that kitten was indeed senseless and uncalled for I have to say that we as humans must be responsible owners of our pets. Humans took it upon ourselves thousands of years ago to domesticate certain animals for our own pleasure, entertainment and enjoyment. We took animals out of their natural habitat and instinctive nature and "tamed" them, some more successfully than others. Had we left these creatures to their natural environment and instincts how would we control their population in todays world? Dogs are pack animals my nature and cats are, for the most part, loners. We can erect a fence to contain most dogs, however cats are climbers and will easily defeat a fence. The sad thing is that a lot of irresponsible owners that tire of caring for their pet will just let them go in the wild. Animals will quickly revert to their natural predatory instints to survive.
As you stated an animal IS an animal and will venture where they will to seek food and shelter. The big difference here is that we have not domesticated deer,bears,foxes,or alligators, but we have domesticated cats and dogs and therefore have the responsibility to care for those animals in a humane environment. The wild animal population IS controlled by survival of the fittest and hunting. When an area gets overpopulated by a species where the lack of food and habitat is detrimental to the survival of the species, the animals are either relocated to a more suitable area or a culled by Wildlife Agencies.
How a society treats it elderly, animals and children is a huge clue as to its humanity. What a mentally sick man he must have been to shoot a defenseless pet. I hope this man gets help and society ends up treating him in his deteriorating mental state better than he treated this cat.
Nice try Einstein! I, matter of fact, am NOT a vegetarian. I am not a tree hugger, I don't throw red paint on people who wear fur. I am a successful, mindful, intelligent, caring woman who lives in Columbia and works for a Law Firm. Before you try to judge and stereotype me without knowing me, you might want to get your mind right. It's easy to assume that someone who cares deeply for animals would make a decision to be a vegetarian, however I am not one. I have the deepest love for animals and that is a direct representation of how I was brought up. If you can sit there in front of your computer and agree with what that man did, you are about as mentally unstable as he is! No domesticated animal deserves to be killed because they are simply playing in a neighbor's yard..... SIMPLE AS THAT!!!
cruelty to an animal is something you can be charged with for putting your indoor pet on a leash to go to the bathroom and not provide it with water. If you have a lawyer it might not hold up in court, but with the judges in bft county and no lawyer, I am here to tell you, for that you get a $1069 fine. That's not shooting an defensless animal, that's sticking it outside for 15 mins on a leash so you aren't breaking any leash law.
To say this guy didn't get preferential treatment is totally ridiculous...and to think he is in some sort of leadership position??? Good grief.....it was NOT the animal's fault it came into his yard....I am the first to agree that ALL cats should be kept indoors to be kept safe from idiots like these people......but to shoot the kitten twice for coming into his yard is indicative to me of his character..........you go to the neighbor and ask them politely to keep the kitten in their own yard/home (preferably).....maybe you all should be glad a child didn't wander into his yard...what would he have done then???? I have to admit....I'm biased....give me animals over people any day......a lot less trouble
I AGREE KAREN, I WOULD RATHER BE AROUND ANIMALS THAN PEOPLE HALF THE TIME TOO AND ESP IDIOTS LIKE MR HODGE THAT SHOT THAT POOR LITTLE KITTY. YOU KNOW ANIMALS, CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED EASY TARGETS BECAUSE THEY DEPEND ON PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. I SURE HOPE MR. HODGE DOESNT HAVE ANYONE HE TAKES CARE OF, POOR THINGS IF HE DOES. OH AND I SAW IN THE BLUFFTON ARTICLE THAT HE HAS CATS AND DOGS,,,,ARE YOU KIDDING ME. HA..SHERI LATHER
You are correct.. It was not the animals fault... It was the owners fault.
How do any of us know that Hodge didn't speak to the neighbor previous to this? Hodge hasn't spoken. We don't know if there were long standing issues with the 2 people. Does it excuse the shooting? NO! The man was charged as seen fit by Bluffton PD... Put down the torches and pitchforks.
The root issue is decision logic of Mr. Hodge and his ability to contine to serve in a public position that will require a trust in service.
The very title of his position and what the Bluffton citizens should expect from the person is of issue.
If Hodge were an elected official, then voters could determine his political fate. However, he is a city employee with a contract and that is between the city and Hodge, not the voters. He does have citizen's rights as well as employee rights. If you have an issue with the city's decision on interpreting the law, then take it up with them. They went by the law.
I agree with BIB. Vigilantes with pitchforks or loose talk is irresponsible. They gave him the maximum penalty under the law. Any more than that is to ignore the law.
the job serves the public, contract or not, the building safety official position is one of high responsibility that comes with the service. Does he have a badge, a gun, (guess so) and has a duty to support the very laws that he has broken, guess if he used a nail gun the penalty would have been worse for him. So now get off your high horse and go ask for a building permit or inspection from this "official" and see if you have his trust or better yet yours.
It won't do any good for us to argue, since we have different opinions on how the LE and city interpreted the law and his contract. I don't live in Bluffton, so it won't affect me. If the citizens of Bluffton want to start a petition or any other lawful redress, then that is their right. If you are a resident of Bluffton, then I suggest you contact the elected officials there and state your gripe.
But, the man does have a contract and civil rights as we all do under the law. The city must adhere to the law or run the risk of lawsuits. Being an employee, he will be evaluated on the performance of his duties, not his personal life. If personal lives begin to enter into the job evaluations, we may lose a few more government employees.
As for his gun, we are all guaranteed the right to own a personal gun, unless the permitting process negates it, again for lawful reasons. I personally own several, but would not do a stupid act like killing a neighbor's kitten. We can at least agree on that.
Maybe it was self defense. Maybe he felt threatened by the kitten. Afraid it would rub on his ankle.
I guess the laws are the laws and we can argue the point all day about what he should've been charged with. But more disturbing is how he handled the whole situation. I find it absolutely horrendous that he couldn't think of a better way to get the cat out of his yard. Pick it up by the scruff and carry it back to the porch. Clap his hands and stomp his feet and scare it away. Ignore it. Not like it would run after someone and attack them. So did he just happen to have a loaded gun handy or did he premeditate the act and go get a gun, load it, and shoot? Sick.
As for cats on a leash... When I was little I would take my cat for a walk around my yard. Don't think my cat liked it much. But I'm sure it entertained the neighbors!
he didn't even do anything. He shot the cat and left it there right??? Who does that?
At least he didn't eat it!
At least he didn't eat it!
ewwww...
To think that a "town official" did this. I live in an area where my neighbors cat runs through my front yard daily. I don't find it an intrusion on my privacy and happily let it roam through my yard. If he had a problem with the kitten on his property, why didn't he just put on his big boy pants and discuss this with the owner like an adult. Give me a break. There is no justification in shooting someones pet because it roamed through your yard. Heaven forbid he ever has to cross the line on someones property.
Lordy.. Does anyone read previous comments before posting?
This subject is still going and I thought everyone had their say. Apparently not.
I haven't seen anyone defending Hodge in this event. He did a stupid act and has admitted it and paid the fine the law said he should pay. His supervisor added on the two weeks without pay.
The dialogue in these threads has been focusing on the the punishment. Some accept the law and the punishment LE and the city charged him with. Others don't think the punishment is enough and want more than the law provided.
Since we are a nation of laws, how can anyone demand more than the law allows? The vigilantism and tar and feathering have been mentioned as examples in the past where citizens have taken the law in their own hands, essentially breaking the law. We either accept the laws or change them through our representatives.
As for Hodge commenting, he has more sense than to make any statement, even an apology. With the level of passion by some of the bloggers, nothing could be said that would satisfy them. Besides, he probably has an attorney and they always tell their client "Do not say anything because it will be twisted out of context by opponents." Still, very wise advice for him and us.
I've not said anything yet about this guy shooting the kitten. What he did was inexcusible, let's hope he learns the error of his ways and never shoots another gun.
Meanwhile, about the kitten. Think about how fortunate that beautiful kitten was in its short life. It had a loving owner, was well-fed and happy as a lark as it ran after a little butterfly that fateful day. It's end was quick. It's sad that it didn't get a chance to live a full life, but the little it had was much more than many kittens have a chance at.