A screenshot from a video of the alleged cruelty incident. From the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Alley Cat Allies Seeks Justice for Kitten Killed in Horrific Cruelty Case
Alley Cat Allies is offering our expert support for the prosecution of Alfonso Perez Nas, who is accused of violently throwing a kitten to the ground, killing her. According to video evidence, the accused then waved the kitten around in the air while smiling. This month, Nas was arrested in Lee County, Florida, and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Nas “held the kitten to the sky and said he was going to put on some music and kill more cats.”
Far too often, animal abusers do not receive a punishment that reflects the severity of their crime. Alley Cat Allies provides assistance to prosecutors to ensure justice is properly served, for the sake of cats who are victims of cruelty and us all.
Animal Cruelty is Linked to Violence Against People
Enforcing strong laws against animal cruelty and prosecuting abuse to the fullest extent of the law is critical not only to protect cats, but us all.
The link between animal cruelty and child abuse, domestic violence, and adverse mental health and community health outcomes is well established. Research has found that violence against animals is predictive of, and often co-occurring with, violence against people. We call it The Link.
This is why we fight to protect cats from cruelty and improve investigations and prosecution: alleycat.org/TheLink.
VICTORY: Miami-Dade County Withdraws Community Cat Feeding Ban
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners heard the voice of the people! A proposed ordinance to criminalize the feeding of community cats was withdrawn from its agenda after swift and intense backlash from advocates in the county and beyond.
The moment we learned about the cruel proposal, Alley Cat Allies mobilized people throughout Florida to speak out in defense of Miami-Dade County’s community cats. We greatly thank all who took action with us: your voice made the difference.
Without our outspoken advocacy, community cat caregivers in the county could be facing $100 fines for their compassion and community service. A feeding ban would also have done irreparable damage to the county’s longstanding Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, which relies on strategic feeding for success.
Feeding Bans Against Cats Do Not Work
Far too many communities consider feeding bans against community cats under the misguided notion that cats will simply “disappear.” Not only are these cats community members who do not deserve such cruel measures—the measures themselves are proven ineffective.
Feeding bans are demonstrably difficult to enforce, discourage the humane action that truly benefits cats and community, and damage the trust between people and their leaders. Learn more about our position against feeding bans.