Posted on 08/11/2010 12:15:05 AM PDT by EinNYC
Buffalo police rescued a cat from a Cheektowaga man who apparently was planning to make a meal out of his pet because he thought it was ill-tempered, authorities said Monday.
When Ferry-Fillmore District officers pulled over a car driven by Gary L. Korkuc on Sunday night during a traffic stop, they said they heard a cat crying from inside the trunk and investigated.
What they found has left animal lovers at the SPCA Serving Erie County in shock.
The cat, according to police, was in a cage “marinating” in a mixture of crushed red peppers, chili pepper, salt and oil.
“It’s disgusting. It surprises me every day what people are capable of when it comes to violence, whether it is animals or people,” said Gina M. Browning, the SPCA’s director of public relations. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
Korkuc, 51, was arrested on one count of cruelty to animals by Officers Jerry Guilian and John Poisson, shortly after he was stopped on the 1100 block of Broadway at about 7:45 p. m. for allegedly passing a stop sign.
Police took the 4-year-old cat to the SPCA on Ensminger Road in the Town of Tonawanda, where Korkuc had adopted it May 11. He told police the cat had been “mean” to him, authorities said.
In condemning the treatment of the cat, whose name is Navarro, Browning read from an SPCA memo put together in part from information provided by the officers and shelter staff:
“Do not under any circumstances adopt to this man ever again. He claims he did not want the cat because it was ‘possessive, greedy and wasteful.’ That the cat got pregnant after ‘spaying,’ even though it was a neutered male. This man is a danger to animals. . . . was soaking cat in marinade to ‘cook.’ ”
Workers at the SPCA gave Navarro two baths Sunday night to clean the spices off and were letting him calm down before bathing him again, Browning said late Monday, adding that the cat is adjusting well.
“We can learn lessons in resiliency. He is purring away and getting ready for his next checkup. He’s looking around like, ‘What am I doing here?’ He might be put [back] up for adoption,” Browning said.
Praising Guilian and Poisson, she added, “Thank God that police heard him. Thank God those cops took the initiative. By all appearances that cat may have wound up dead.”
Korkuc was also charged with passing a stop sign and failure to signal. After his arrest, he was later released on an appearance ticket.
Navarro has black and white markings, weighs 12 pounds and is described as having a good disposition. Adoption hours today at the SPCA, 205 Ensminger, are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Yeah, I agree. Something isn’t right. How do you marinate anything, especially a live cat, with fur, in a cage? I call b.s. on the whole thing.
Was there a Korean involved in this? Wait...they like dog.
Story’s a bit weird, but the kitteh has been adopted, so all’s well that ends well.
They supposedly banned the guy from adopting from the SPCA. I hope that they informed the (probably) dozens of other little shelters all over the place. Out here in the middle of nowhere, we have three shelters, so I’m sure there are many more in and near a city the size of Buffalo.
How dumb can anyone be? You have to skin a cat before you marinate it.
What a jerk! Everyone knows you need white wine to properly marinate your cat...
Cheers!
The man has to be off his rocker..needs a mental ward..I agree he has probably done other cruel things to animals..Will people will be next?
hell=heel
Sorry!
I just included that link in case you wanted to see more postings. I searched “cat” and it did not find it. I think I searched “Traffic stop” and it did. The only reason I knew it was there is because I saw it earlier yesterday.
It does make one wonder how he treats humans.
As awful as this was,the kitty still got a better deal than a a hog or a laying hen in a confined animal feeding operation, or a veal calf. At least its misery was short lived.
I wonder if the “mean” story was just a cover. He maybe did this on a regular basis. I sure hope not.
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