This one isn't for the faint of heart. The internet is both sickened and in an uproar after a man allegedly harmed a seagull. The man allegedly ripped the seagull's head off at a New Jersey pier in early July. The violence of the act has disturbed many.
Authorities arrested 29-year-old Franklin Zeigler. They charged him with third-degree animal cruelty. Witnesses alleged that Zeigler decapitated a seagull at Morey's Pier in Wildwood, New Jersey on July 6. Zeigler allegedly became angry at the creature for stealing his daughter's fries. So, he decided to kill it in retaliation.
Many people online questioned such an extreme response. They condemned the man's actions as needlessly cruel and deranged. One wrote on Facebook, "Wtf is wrong with people?"Another person called him a danger to society, writing, "But I do feel it all boils down to what is acceptable to do to non-humans in our society."
Another had a simple response of "Sicko." Finally, a fourth person wrote, "A seagull at Circular Quay Sydney snatched my reading glasses off my face because I was holding Maccas chips and finally dropped my glasses at the Opera House and fortunately not in the harbour, but I would never hurt it because of that. Gosh, horrible man."
Petition Surfaces Over Seagull
One person pointed out that it was the seagull's habitat. They wrote, "That is unacceptable. The man took his child into the seagulls' environment and expects the seagulls to know man's expectations. SMH."
Following his arrest, a petition surfaced. More than 45,000 people signed the petition. It called for the man to undergo mental health counseling and evaluation. The petition also called for Zeigler to never be allowed to own an animal again. "If he is allowed to continue on without any real consequences or repercussions, who knows what the object of his next violent outburst will be," the petition argued, "Another animal? A person? A child?"
It continued, "The pure barbarity that this man displayed must have been terrifying," adding that Zeigler reportedly asked for a trash bag from a beachfront business while still holding the decapitated seagull.
Meanwhile, police reported that he was "irate and uncooperative with officers on an unrelated investigation."They also arrested him for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
