Exterminator convicted of killing 3 cats behind TV station

[peternap]

Duh....I thought that's what Exterminators did for a living


HENRICO, VA (NBC12) - A Chesterfield County exterminator was convicted Thursday of three counts animal cruelty for killing three feral cats outside a Henrico TV station.
 
The conviction places Keith Copi's job as the local owner of Critter Control in jeapordy.

Stunned from  being convicted of three animal cruelty charges, and sentenced to pay fines totaling $750, Copi, 37, left the courthouse with more questions.

When asked if the conviction allows him to continue his role as Critter Control franchisee, Copi says, "I do not know."

In court, Copi testified the FOX affiliate hired him in June to trap and remove feral cats who lived behind the station.

The station gave Copi an email from Henrico Animal Control officer allowing them to hire a contractor to trap and remove the cats. The email didn't say anything about euthanizing them.
 
Copi set out traps and later caught three cats.

He said he used CO2 gas to kill them inside his truck in the FOX parking lot.

Copi's attorney said his client should have asked for clarification about exactly what to do with the cats.

"To get explicit instructions from Henrico Animal Control when they delegated their authority to him, to get that in a more explicit manner, that's where he made his mistake," says John Rockecharlie.

One animal control officer said the cats would likely have been euthanized in about a week if they'd been taken to the county shelter. Still, prosecutors argued killing them was unnecessary.
Steve Genett, who is general manager of FOX Richmond, says, "That's the court's decision, that's the court's decision."

After the trial, at least three animal rights groups applauded the efforts of prosecutors. Attorney's for Keith Copi haven't said yet if they plan an appeal of the conviction.

[StinkerBell]

I see our tax payer money hard at work again......

[benevolance]

yeah he is guilty of killing them a week early...

This is ridiculous

[peternap]

I haven't figured that one out yet. Animal control didn't get upset, who lit a fire under the Commonwealths Attorney.

[benevolance]

animal rights activists...

Which makes me wonder how in the name of god did they even find out about three freaking feral cats to begin with.

and the people that were crying foul were not going to adopt them and let the feral cats stay in their homes...and they offer no real long term or short term solution for feral cats....They would have been forced to have the cats euthanized... But the exterminator does it and it is a crime..

I guess he did not cry about it or something...

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

If anyone ought to be in trouble, it is the animal control officers who obviously weren't doing there jobs, since the station had to call in an exterminator to do it for them.  Whether they were euthanized in his truck or at the Animal shelter makes little difference.  Why is it a crime in one place by one man, and the "humane" thing to do if done by the other?  Idiotic.  It isn't like he konked them on the head with an iron pipe... or tied them to his bumper and dragged them through the streets.  Doggone the folks like PETA.

[benevolance]

i guess they were supposedto end up down at the chinese restaurant?

okay bad joke I know..

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

   That was actually pretty funny.

[peternap]

  That was actually pretty funny.

It was... but I ain't gonna laugh

[benevolance]

I know Peter you are too busy filling out registration forms to laugh I guess

[peternap]

I know Peter you are too busy filling out registration forms to laugh I guess

[benevolance]

code 2

I am not going to waste my time designing a graphic for it... 

[StinkerBell]

ex·ter·mi·na·tor     Audio Help   /ɪkˈstɜrməˌneɪtər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ik-stur-muh-ney-ter] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.   a person or thing that exterminates.
2.   a person or business establishment specializing in the elimination of vermin, insects, etc., from a building, apartment, etc., esp. by the controlled application of toxic chemicals.

ex·ter·mi·nate     Audio Help   /ɪkˈstɜrməˌneɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ik-stur-muh-neyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -nat·ed, -nat·ing.
to get rid of by destroying; destroy totally; extirpate: to exterminate an enemy; to exterminate insects.
[Origin: 1535–45; < L exterminātus, ptp. of extermināre to extermine; see -ate1]

—Related forms
ex·ter·mi·na·ble    Audio Help   /ɪkˈstɜrmənəbəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ik-stur-muh-nuh-buhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, adjective
ex·ter·mi·na·tion, noun

—Synonyms eradicate, abolish, annihilate, eliminate.



Dunno, seems pretty clear to me.

[ScottA]

Pretty dumb. This all boils down to RWWWNTD and a greedy court.

[benevolance]

RWWWNTD
what does that stand for?

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Yep.  New one to me, too.

[ScottA]

Rich White Women With Nothing To Do

[glenn kangiser]

I've seen them, Scott.