Brooklyn teen faces felony charge in death of family hamster

(Reuters) - A New York teenager has been charged with a felony, with the possibility of a two-year prison sentence, for killing her family's pet hamster, authorities said on Wednesday

Brooklyn teen faces charge in death of family hamster

I don't even really know where to begin with this one. I mean....... I could understand if it was a dog or cat, but a Hamster? Aren't they just glorified rats? So, in New York City, where the more rats and mice you can kill the better, a woman is facing having her future ruined by killing a hamster. I don't know! I know I'm probably bringing this forward to the wrong crowd and the comments will probably be 80% against me. Making this young woman a felon, over a small furry cute little creature's death is not how justice should be served.

Although I agree with you somewhat, a hamster is just as sacred as a dog or cat. You can't say you'd get mad over a dog's death and not a hamster's, considering they are all innocent animals. I don't agree with the sentencing, ESPECIALLY since dog-men don't get such a heavy sentence. I recall watching "Off the Chain" documentary about dog fighting and this guy, who basically forced his dog to be a killer, got off with just probation. But this is America, and the laws are so backwards.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


Normally there has to be some "cruelty" involved, but since her father was the one that turned her in, she strangled it to death, and it was just for spite during an argument, and she is 19, I say the charges are probably appropriate.

Her arrest stemmed from an investigation into the incident after Smith's father contacted the America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said ASPCA assistant director Joe Pentangelo.

Terrible father though! Who calls ASPCA on their own daughter over a hamster.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45

Yeh. Tough one. I'm having a hard time forming an opinion on this myself.

I think the parents went wrong on this one. And I think that's emblematic of a lot of problems we have: Parents who can't control their kids, and then when something like this happens they want someone else to solve the problem. Which, of course, our overreaching "authorities" are happy to do.

Which, of course, is emblematic of another problem: We've allowed too many "authorities" to be formed; with an attendant number of rules, regulations, and laws....

Now I don't know where to stop.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


It depends, if you're the sort of cretin who'd maliciously kill a pet - no matter what it is - then you're the sort of cretin that'd likely throw trash on homeless, steal from the poor or rob old ladies of their handbags.

This person has within them the intent to harm things that are protected.

So, we need more people like that on the streets?

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
So, in New York City, where the more rats and mice you can kill the better, a woman is facing having her future ruined by killing a hamster.

Generally when rats and mice are killed it's done as humanely as possible with quick kill traps. They don't usually get choked and thrown, causing blunt force trauma, liver damage and brain hemorrhage as this psychotic teen did. Cruelty to animals is a crime.

Let me break it down with you.

This woman - she's over 18, we're not talking about a 12 year old or something - STRANGLED A PET and threw it out the window. Why? 'Cuase she was upset after arguing with her family.

I don't give a damn if it's a great dane or a goldfish, destroying your pet's life because you're upset at daddy is messed up. She completely intentionally picked up this animal, and crushed the life from it, because she was having a bad day.

Two years for animal cruelty, which I'm certain will mostly be spent on probation? Sounds about right, all it needs is a lifetime supply of lithium pills.

animal cruelty charges can be misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the nature of abuse. most states differentiate between misdemeanors and felonies by penalty: misd- upto 1 yr; felonies-over 1 yr.
all kinds of animals can be pets. its not always to punish but to find proper treatment for those who want to inflict pain and torture on animals, which can be a sign of other more serious activity. also, proper diagnosis and treatment of past trauma. things are not always as clear as the news states.

reply to post by Ex_CT2


How is it the parents' fault? What do you suggest they do, just buy her a new one? She broke the law, killed a defenseless creature out of spite, and her parents - or anyone else - is fully in the right to do something about it. Nice little life lesson, actions have consequences.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox

anger management issues aside for this 19 yr old adult, i do agree with your assessment. there is a difference between getting mad and breaking a dish, and killing a pet animal. to want to hurt someone by hurting or killing an animal that the person cares about... its symptomatic of something far darker and sinister.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox


It sounds to me like this young "lady" (and I use that term loosely) needs something other than a 2-yr felony charge. What she really needs is 2 yrs of psychotherapy. As for her parents, they needs therapy as well. A young lady brought up in a "normal" home RARELY acts out in such a way.

Just my opinion....but probation is not going to help her underlying issues....and all the felony charges are going to do is make it harder for her to find a decent job, which in turn will make her even more screwy.

It's a vicious circle.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox

Merely saying she "wasn't brought up right." When parents abdicate their responsibilities they get bad results.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


Actually, with the complete disregard for a family pet, and the way she did it, she is clearly unstable and should not face a sentence but a little head help as well.

"Monique Smith, 19, of Brooklyn was arguing with a family member in June when she reached for the hamster, choked it and threw it outside the house, police said."

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


In most cases involving animals, its usually the manner in which they kill that determines the punishment...for all you know, she could have been one of those sickos that put it in a microwave...would two years imprisonment seem proportionate to her crime then? I think so.

reply to post by Ex_CT2


Oh, bull. I don't know if you've noticed, but people are autonomous. A kid can have a great upbringing and still go "Nah, I'd rather be a dick." This woman decided, of her own free will, to crush a rodent out of spite. Even if we had evidence that her parents had raised her poorly - and we have absolutely no such evidence - she is still free to say "Maybe I should NOT kill this hamster."

she need therapy way more than she needs jail. Obviously there is more to it than just a knee jerk reaction of killing a pet and whose to say that jail will do anything to rehabilitate this girl? I love animals and though I detest rodents...they dont deserve to get choked out any more than my beloved dog or cat. I'd be curious to know if she has had issues with her anger before.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


The irony of this situation is that in NYC the gal could go down the street to a free clinic and have an 8.5 month old fetus killed and that would be OK.

These folks need to get serious and if she really wanted to kill it, she only needed to put on the sidewalk. In Brooklyn the rats would have torn it to shreds within an hour

reply to post by TheWalkingFox


You're right actions have consequences but you're also wrong in alluding to the fact that the parents aren't at fault.

I heard a saying awhile back and it made sense to my theories on parental control but can't remember from which country it originates. the saying goes "the village raises the child".

In these days of mistrust and cautiousness it is left in only the parents hands to teach the child values. If the parent has not taught the child that all actions have consequences and the basics of love and respect by a certain age, then this 19 year old girl is a possible production of this. ( a side note to my theory is though, that once the person migrates to adulthood they have plenty of real world alternate examples to change their conditioned behavior )

Now off course i do not know the family or their life journey's, so off course this is an assumption and theory. But a mighty good one if i do say so myself

If this degenerate is convicted of this crime, that will be excellent!!

Maybe this will persuade other degenerates from taking their anger out on poor innocent and defenseless animals!!!

reply to post by TheWalkingFox

You know what? You make a good argument. I agree, but let me temper that agreement. I've seen the kids of perfectly decent parents turn out to be dicks. And I've also seen a lot of the consequences of "bad upbringing." We don't know which this was, and as you say, we have no way of knowing which this was. I made a snap judgment, and thanks for pointing it out.