Authorities arrested a man this week for bludgeoning a stray cat to death with a tire iron last month. Richard Ferrugio, 39, was tracked down by ASPCA agents on Friday after a lengthy investigation. Spokesman Joe Pentangelo said several witnesses—including children—watched as Ferrugio took the tire iron out of his car to kill the cat. The disgruntled tabby lobby will surely not be happy about this.
According to the Post, Ferrugio had been kicked out of Neirs Tavern in Woodhaven on Feb. 7 for drunkeness when the incident took place. Witnesses say Ferrugio repeatedly struck a black and white cat with the tire iron and also kicked the animal. He has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty and criminal possession of a weapon.
Stray cats around Queens have not had a good time of it lately: in December, we spoke with serial cat euthanizer Paul Zhang, an "angel of death" who admitted to trapping and killing over 60 strays "to prevent or reduce colony cat suffering." The City Council passed a recent bill endorsing the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) method as the most humane and effective way to control the city's cat population.
