A man who brutally killed a seagull that tried to steal his daughter's French fries at a U.S. amusement park was sentenced to about eight months in prison. Some animal protection groups are pushing back, calling it a "slap on the wrist."
According to the New York Post and others on the 18th (local time), Franklin Ziegler, 32, visited an amusement park in North Wildwood, New Jersey, with his daughter on July 6, 2024. When a seagull snatched the French fries his daughter was eating, Ziegler became enraged and grabbed the bird. He was found to have gripped the seagull with his hands and then slit its throat, killing it brutally.
After citizens saw Ziegler looking for a trash bag to dispose of the decapitated seagull's carcass and reported it, he was taken into custody by police. Ziegler reportedly said in a police interview that he killed the seagull because it was chasing him and his daughter. He also faced charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest for being uncooperative and resisting police.
Ziegler was brought to trial on a third-degree animal cruelty charge. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, enacted in 1918, the United States prohibits pursuing, hunting, capturing, killing, or selling migratory birds, including seagulls. Ziegler was sent to a grand jury on June 24 last year.
At the sentencing hearing on the 12th, the court sentenced Ziegler to a fine of up to $250 (about 370,000 won) and 262 days in prison. However, he was released after receiving credit for time served before trial.
Doll Stanley, a lead campaigner with In Defense of Animals (IDA), strongly objected, calling the ruling against Ziegler a "slap on the wrist" given the cruelty of the crime.
Stanley noted, "This was an act of cruel torture carried out in broad daylight in front of children." Stanley added, "Investigators are aware of the link between domestic violence and animal abuse in his case, yet the court failed to protect members of the community even though Ziegler is an example that shows the danger. This is very disappointing."