Cats could have died, vet testifies

By Sheena Delazio sdelazio@timesleader.comStaff Writer

WILKES-BARRE – A doctor of veterinary forensic science testified Tuesday that Holly Crawford, 35, could have mortally wounded three kittens in 2008 when she pierced them and docked their tails.

Melinda Merck, an animal cruelty investigator and veterinarian, said the ear piercings altered the cats’ hearing and piercings at the back of their necks and base of tails hampered balance and jumping. She said that if infections became severe, the 3-month-old kittens could have died.

“They were maimed and disfigured,” Merck said.

Merck assisted in the prosecution of NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who was charged with cruelty of animals after allowing dog fights.

Merck testified as the last witness of prosecutors David Pedri and Alexis Falvello. Defense attorneys John Pike and Robert Buttner will present their witnesses this morning.

Prosecutors also called veterinarian Donald Sankey, who was working in the emergency room of the Animal Emergency Clinic in Pittston at the time of the incident and examined the kittens.

Sankey said the kittens weighed only between 2 and 3 pounds, and the piercings and dockings were “inappropriate.”

Also testifying were Martin Mersereau and Amanda Kyle, who both work for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and were first notified by an anonymous caller.

Mersereau, based in Virginia, said he received a call from an anonymous man who said “gothic” kittens were being auctioned off on eBay. He said he contacted co-worker Kyle, who lives in Pennsylvania, to go to Crawford’s home and investigate.

Kyle said she asked Crawford questions to make it seem like she was interested in purchasing a kitten. She said she took pictures and asked how the procedures were done.

Kyle said she was told the kittens were pierced with a 14-gauge needle, which veterinarians usually use for cattle because their skin is so thick. She said she was also told a rubber band was used to dock the tail of one kitten.

Kyle said Crawford told her one of the kittens had ripped out a piercing and Crawford was waiting for it to heal before she pierced it again. Kyle said Crawford told her she pierced the kittens because it was “neat.”

Crawford was charged after humane officers and state police searched her home on Dec. 17, 2008, and seized three kittens with ear, neck and tail piercings. At least one of the kittens had a ring on its tail used to prevent blood flow, causing the tail to fall off in time.

Prosecutor Pedri said the three kittens were pierced a total of 10 times.

Humane officer Carol Morrison testified the cost to rehabilitate the kittens was upwards of $1,000.

In an interview with The Associated Press a year ago, Crawford said she didn’t think there was a difference between piercing a cat or a human.

Similar charges against Crawford’s boyfriend, William Blansett, 37, of Sweet Valley, were withdrawn in February.