Pa. woman to stand trial for selling pierced cats

[February 18, 2009]  WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) -- A Pennsylvania dog groomer has been ordered to stand trial on animal cruelty charges for selling "gothic kittens" with ear, neck and tail piercings.

Holly Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre was raided Dec. 17 after the county Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got a tip.

A prosecutor says Crawford inflicted pain on the cats, which were listed for sale for hundreds of dollars on the Internet. Crawford's attorney says state law says nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Wilkes-Barre District Judge Paul Hadzick called it a gray area that needs to be decided by a trial judge or jury.

Charges against a second defendant, William Blansett, were dropped after Crawford admitted she pierced the cats.

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Information from: The Citizens' Voice, http://www.citizensvoice.com/

[Associated Press]

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