Anthony Yates
A Florida man allegedly killed his own pet peacock after he got into an argument with his neighbor, who was feeding them. He now faces animal cruelty charges.
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What happened: According to a report by CBS News, the bizarre incident occurred on Tuesday night. The outlet cites court records, which say 61-year-old Craig Vogt admitted to eating his pet peacocks after an argument.
- Per WTSP, Tricia Day-Barker contacted Pasco County authorities at around 6 PM that evening. She claimed that Vogt killed two peacocks at his home because she continued to feed them.
- When deputies questioned Vogt, he reportedly claimed he posted a letter in Day-Barker’s mailbox threatening to kill more peacocks if she kept feeding them. Per ABC News, Vogt’s letter said he would kill the creatures to “prove a point.”
- The outlet cites an arrest affidavit that says Vogt “admitted to killing the bird by cutting the bird’s neck out of spite, then bleeding it out, and then later eating the bird after cooking it on a frying pan.”
The Florida Man Claimed He Would Kill More Peacocks
Per WTSP, Vogt told authorities he would kill his remaining pet peacocks to prevent anyone from taking custody of them. He now faces a charge of Aggravated Animal Cruelty.
- CBS News reveals that Vogt has an extensive criminal record. It remains unclear how many peacocks Vogt owns or what will happen to them.
- Authorities are holding Vogt on a $25,000 bond at the Pasco County Jail, per FOX 13. He was assigned a public defender and has not posted the fee.
Another animal cruelty incident: A social media influencer received mass pushback after posting videos of himself harassing alligators in Australia earlier this month. His antics even prompted a response from Steve Irwin’s father.
- Mike Holston, who goes by the handle @therealtarzann on Instagram, frequently shares animal-related content to his millions of followers. However, several of his more recent videos that show him wrestling crocodiles have drawn ire.
- The videos prompted responses from multiple organizations, including PETA and the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).
- DETSI criticized the videos, saying, “These actions are extremely dangerous and illegal.” Bob Irwin blasted comparisons between Holston and his late son. “This isn’t a Steve Irwin issue. This is about an individual illegally interfering with protected fauna,” he said. “You can’t even put them in the same sentence. Everything Steve did was to respect wildlife.”
