Kitten killer pulled from school

A Year-10 pupil who killed a pet kitten in front of horrified onlookers this week has been withdrawn from Trident High School, Whakatane.

The boy had been immediately suspended after the incident, which happened in front of other students in the lunch hour.

Principal Peter Tootell said the student was with a group of boys who were apparently playing with the kitten.

"Then, for whatever reason, he decided to kill the kitten."

The boy could offer no explanation for inflicting what Whakatane veterinarian Chris Peterson described as "blatant" injuries, unlike anything he has ever seen.

The shorthaired, black, four to five-month-old kitten had just died when it arrived at the Care Vets Veterinary Health Centre.

Mr Peterson said the base of the kitten's skull was smashed. It also had a dislocated hip and pelvic fractures.

He said cats often received pelvic injuries when hit by cars but he had never seen the base of the skull broken like that.

The kitten was not a stray, he said. It was healthy and was obviously somebody's pet.

The boy's actions were immediately reported to a teacher and the matter has since been referred to Whakatane police.

Mr Tootell said the students who saw the kitten killed were appalled.

"It happened at lunchtime and because the kids watching were in different classes, it went around the school very quickly.

"They were horrified ... there were kids in tears and very upset."

The boy will not appear before the board of trustees as he has been withdrawn from the school.

Mr Tootell said the boy had been thinking of changing schools this year and his father withdrew him after the incident because of the embarrassment it would cause the school.

Mr Tootell is not sure how the board of trustees would have dealt with the matter if he had stayed.

It was the first time anything like that had happened and members would have had to do a bit of "soul-searching" in dealing with the situation.

The school has recommended the boy seek professional help from child and adolescent mental health provider Voyagers.

Police are investigating and may make a similar recommendation.

Youth aid officer Paul Dickie said he was aware of the incident but the file had yet to be referred to youth aid.

He said it was an unusual case.

"I've dealt with just about everything but I've never dealt with a young person doing this at school.

"If a kid is prepared to do that to an animal, obviously there needs to be some sort of investigation or assessment."

SPCA inspector Marj Whalley had no comment to make other than to say that if children were cruel to animals it led to worse cruelty later in life.

Vets 4 Petz veterinarian Karen Gow said the incident was not a surprise to her.

She said she often had to deal with incidents of cruelty and neglect.

The worst example was that of a man who cut off the ear of a family member's dog.

The man was drunk at the time and was tired of the dog barking.

- NZPA