[Kodachrome]

Two PETA Employees Arrested on Animal Cruelty Charges in N.C.


Andrew Benjamin Cook



Adria Joy Hinkle




Two individuals from Hampton Roads, employees of the Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, were arrested Wednesday night in Ahoskie, N.C., on animal cruelty charges.

The two were arrested after authorities allege they dumped dead dogs and cats in a dumpster at a shopping center on Memorial Drive in Ahoskie.

Andrew Benjamin Cook, 24, of Virginia Beach, and Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, of Norfolk, were arrested at the shopping center. Police say they found 18 dead animals in the dumpster and 13 dead animals in the couple's van, which according to authorities, is registered to PETA. Both suspects were charged with 31 counts of animal cruelty and eight counts of illegal disposal of animals.

According to police, the animals were from two North Carolina animal shelters - one in Northampton County and the other in Bertie County.

Officials say the animals were alive when they left the shelters, but have not said how they died.

North Carolina officials say they have been investigating reports of dead animals at the shopping center for over a month. Authorities say there were four other incidents of dead animals found in the shopping center dumpster, each on a Wednesday night. Surveillance was conducted this week, resulting in the two arrests.

Cook and Hinkle were released on bond. They have a court date in Winton, N.C., on June 17th.

A PETA spokesperson told WAVY News 10 that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a long-standing relationship with shelters to euthanize pets that the shelters feel are no longer adoptable, and the spokesperson is confident the animal cruelty charges will be dropped.

If the animals were put into a dumpster as alleged, the spokesperson termed that 'outrageous.'

PETA says Hinkle has been suspended.  Cook is still working for the organization.

http://www.wavy.com/global/story.asp...Type=Printable

me thinks the PETA folks should not be so cruel to the animals.

LOL this is so bizarre

why would they be killing animals they steal from Animal Shelters?

[DeathToWindows]

Feh. They're already utter wackjobs.

[Mastrap]

PETA = People for the eating of tasty animals.


With gravy.

[buggsuperstar]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

PETA = People for the eating of tasty animals.


With gravy.

[Psychonaut]

They're so anti-human; I'd've thought they'd be charged with cannibalism long before animal cruelty.

[Scientist]

That is bizarre. I have a theory about this but I'd like more information before I present it.

[Albert Pujols]

Off topic but, PETA sent me a package full of propaganda. I have so much PETA crap I don't know what to do with it. I don't even believe in anything PETA advocates and I have no idea why they sent me this shite. I guess they expect me to pass this stuff out.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

i think they tried to do something to "help" the animals but we don't know the full story

i doubt they murdered the animals in cold blood because it's fun.

[Y3a]

They are probably REALLY STUPID, and accidentally killed them by leaving them in a hot van or something like that. I guess we'll have to wait n see.

[chris v]

From the text of the frist psot:

A PETA spokesperson told WAVY News 10 that the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a long-standing relationship with shelters to euthanize pets that the shelters feel are no longer adoptable

Sounds like they were just taking a shortcut with the corpses. Still... they're certainly not doing their cause much good, and I will argue in this day and age, we've got more pressing causes-- like parhaps the "Society of People to Prevent Cruelty to People" for starters.

[saddino]

Originally Posted by Kodachrome

why would they be killing animals they steal from Animal Shelters?

Have you ever heard of animal hoarding? It's a psychological disorder (related to OCD) where the person with the condition will hoard animals (usually in their home) to the point where (typically) their home is awash in feces and the animals are dying. The classic example is the "widow with 30 cats." The sad thing is, people who animal hoard have absolutely no idea that anything is wrong, even when dead animals litter their property -- they "hoard" out of "love" for animals, usually trying to do the impossible and take in every stray or adopt compusively from shelters -- and their sickness blinds them to the fact that most of the animals in their possession are dying due to malnutrition, disease, etc.

Have you ever wondered why a disproprionate number of child molestors work in day care centers, or why a disproprtionate number of arsonists are volunteer fire fighters? People with psychological disorders graviate to work that allows them to fufill the desires of their sickness. This actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

So, is it strange that a couple that "freed" animals, only to take them somewhere where they eventually died (e.g. classic animal hoarding) would've applied to work for PETA, where they could fufill their needs?

Nope! Makes perfect sense.