PENNSYLVANIA -- An Allentown woman was charged yesterday with animal cruelty for cutting off a kitten's tail, breaking its legs and beating a dog, said Lehigh County Humane Society cruelty investigator Steve Fenstermacher.
Rachel Santmyer, 19, of 615 Turner St., Apt. 6, faces two counts of animal cruelty, which carry a maximum fine of $300 each, Fenstermacher said.
On Monday, police called Fenstermacher to the apartment where he found a 6-day-old kitten with half of its tail cut off and its hind legs broken, Fenstermacher said, adding that witnesses said they saw Santmyer maim the animal.
The kitten had to be euthanized, he said.
Witnesses also said they had seen Santmyer beat her boyfriend's dog, a mixed-breed adult female, with her fists on more than one occasion, Fenstermacher said.
The dog was seized early yesterday after a search warrant was served on the apartment.
(The Morning Call - June 21, 1995)
