Prosecutor: Mo. man who drowned cat not charged

LAKE WAUKOMIS, Mo. (AP) - Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd says Missouri state law does not allow him to charge a Kansas man who drowned a cat in Lake Waukomis.

Thomas Newhouse of Shawnee, Kan., admitted to Lake Waukomis police that he placed the cat in a carrier and drowned it July 14. He said the cat had bitten and scratched a family member.

The case was referred to Zahnd's office after what the prosecutor called a "significant public outcry." Zahnd said in a news release Tuesday that his office had received numerous calls and emails. More than 1,200 people signed an online petition seeking Newhouse's prosecution for a felony.

But Zahnd said Missouri's animal abuse law does not apply to the killing of an animal by the owner or the owner's agent.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com