The Ohio SPCA has issued a press release calling for North Ridgeville Humane Officer Barry Accorti to be immediately fired and charged with 5 counts of animal cruelty after he shot 5 kittens trapped in a homeowner’s woodpile last week. A few excerpts from the press release, including a most interesting bit at the end:
A law enforcement officer who resorts to shooting kittens or any non-threatening animal is not only lacking in compassion and moral judgment, but violating Ohio law!
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According to John Bell, attorney for the Ohio SPCA, “Shooting a cat is never legal. It is not painless and therefore violates the “immediate and painless” rule contained in the Ohio Revised Code. It is also expressly illegal to “needlessly kill” any ‘companion animal,’ which includes all cats and dogs.”
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Due to additional complaints and statements received from North Ridgeville residents, the Ohio SPCA has launched a full-scale investigation of previous actions taken by Officer Barry Accorti and the other part-time officer, Brian Gorski. These actions not only indicate inhumane treatment of animals, but also involve life-threatening circumstances to local residents and animals. Landon states, “Two attempts to speak with Mayor Gillock have failed. If the North Ridgeville Police Chief and Mayor Gillock do not take the obvious necessary action in response to these incidents, a lawsuit by the Ohio SPCA will be the only remedy.”
The Ohio SPCA’s statement seems to imply that this was not Mr. Accorti’s first time at the rodeo. I’ll be watching for developments in this case.