Pa. Woman To Stand Trial For Selling 'Gothic Kittens'

The Associated Press

In this December file photo, Wayne Harvey, SPCA kennel attendant, holds a kitten that was taken from a home in Ross Twp. because some of its body parts were pierced.

By The Associated Press
Published: February 18, 2009

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WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania --

A Pennsylvania dog groomer has been ordered to stand trial on animal cruelty charges for selling "gothic kittens" with ear, neck and tail piercings.

Holly Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre was raided Dec. 17 after the county Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got a tip, according to The Citizens' Voice newspaper.

A prosecutor says Crawford inflicted pain on the cats, which were listed for sale for hundreds of dollars on the Internet. Crawford's attorney says state law says nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Wilkes-Barre District Judge Paul Hadzick called it a gray area that needs to be decided by a trial judge or jury.