Target: Bruce L. Bartlett, State Attorney, Pinellas–Pasco Counties, Florida
Goal: Seek the maximum lawful penalties, a long-term animal ownership ban, and mandatory counseling for the individual who allegedly killed two pet birds by squeezing and shaking them.
Authorities arrested a man after he reportedly admitted to grabbing one pet bird out of the air and squeezing and shaking the animal until it died. He allegedly repeated the act on a second bird. Officers apparently found both birds dead in a garbage can. Reports further indicate the suspect resisted officers during the arrest. These details present a chilling picture of deliberate cruelty that, if proven, calls for strong consequences.
Police reports state the suspect described the acts as done “in rage.” The alleged method is intimate and violent. Hands around a small body. Crushing pressure. Prolonged fear. This is not a sudden impulse that left no trace. It is, as reported, a sequence of choices that inflicted terror and pain on defenseless animals.
Animal cruelty cases like this, when proven, demand more than a slap on the wrist. Research consistently links intentional violence toward animals with broader risks to community safety. Appropriate accountability serves public safety, affirms victims’ value, and deters future abuse. Demand the prosecution pursue the maximum lawful penalties, seek a lengthy prohibition on owning or living with animals, and require psychological evaluation with counseling focused on violence and impulse control if guilt is proven.
PETITION LETTER:
State Attorney Bartlett,
We are urging your office to pursue firm accountability in the case where a man allegedly seized two pet birds and killed them by squeezing and shaking them. Officers reportedly discovered the birds dead in a garbage can, and the suspect allegedly resisted officers during the arrest. These facts, as reported, describe a deliberate and intimate form of harm that causes profound suffering.
This case matters for community safety. Intentional cruelty toward vulnerable animals signals serious risk. A strong prosecutorial stance helps deter future offenses, protects animals, and underscores that calculated violence has consequences.
If the allegations are proven in court, we ask that your office seek the maximum lawful penalties, a long-term ban on animal ownership or contact, and mandated psychological evaluation with counseling. Such measures protect the public, honor the victims, and reinforce that cruelty has no place in our communities.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Michael Manulevich
