Maya the chihuahua was the beloved pet of the Cerate family who had moved to Virginia from Mexico. The family’s little girl was particularly attached to Maya. Mr. Wilbur Cerate was used to being greeted by Maya when he came home from work but one Saturday last month, the dog was not there to greet him.
Cerate checked his security camera and the video shows a van with “PETA” on the side back into his driveway. Two women got out of the van and one walked up his porch, took Maya, and put her in the back of the van.
Mr. Cerate says that three days later, the two women returned to his house with a fruit basket to tell him PETA had killed Maya.
*pauses while you go back to re-read “fruit basket”*
Mr. Cerate called the cops on their loopy asses.
Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin told WAVY.com he charged the PETA workers with larceny. He said pets are considered personal property. But the local commonwealth’s attorney told WAVY.com he dropped the charges because there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. He said the video does not show criminal intent, so he declined to take the case to court.
I didn’t go to law school but isn’t stealing a crime in and of itself, like with the “criminal intent” part automatically included? PETA reportedly stole this family’s well loved pet, killed her, then returned to brag about it while shoving a fruit basket in their faces. There is video evidence. There is an admission of guilt. The county sheriff brought charges. But the commonwealth’s attorney can’t be bothered to do his job.
Maya’s little girl is heartbroken and her father says she no longer has any interest in school or other activities. PETA hid when WAVY repeatedly contacted the group seeking comment. Mr. Cerate wants to know why PETA stole and killed his family’s pet. Tragically, the answer is that PETA operates a pet killing facility in VA and death is the outcome for almost every animal PETA takes.
Respectful letters requesting the commonwealth’s attorney pursue charges against PETA for the theft and killing of Maya can be e-mailed to commatt@verizon.net.
(Thank you Laura for the link.)