Utah Woman Charged With Misdemeanors For Allowing Her Cat To Sleep On Her Lawn

Ferlon Webster Jr. | June 28, 2019
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A Utah woman received some very strange misdemeanor charges for allowing her own cat to sleep in her very own yard.

Really? Yes, really. 

On Monday, Murray resident Kate Anderson was approached by animal control officers after they learned from a neighbor that her cat, Milo, was taking naps on her front lawn. 

Thinking the officers were delivering bad news about the health of her feline, the homeowner was surprised to find they were actually handing her two citations: one for having “an animal at large” and the other for “not having an animal license attached," and both Class B misdemeanors.

“I just got a ticket for my cat being outside, in my yard,” Anderson told FOX 13 in disbelief.

As FOX 13 reports:

Based on the Murray city ordinance, which was enacted in 1963, it is illegal for any animal, house cats included, to run at large.

The ordinance reads in part:

“It is unlawful for the owner or person having charge, care, custody or control of any animal to allow such animal at any time to run at large. The owner or person charged with responsibility of an animal found running loose shall be strictly liable for a violation of this section and for any injury to a person or another animal, or property damage caused by such animal running at large, regardless of the precautions taken to prevent the escape of the animal and regardless of whether the owner or person charged with responsibility knows that the animal is running at large."

“I don’t think most people think it is illegal to let your cat outside under any circumstance,” Anderson said. “It sounded like the ordinance was kept vague for a reason so if there are strange circumstances, they can do something about that, but this just feels like animal control being out of control.”

Power trip, maybe?

According to the outlet, Murray City Attorney G.L. Critchfield said while the cat being on the lawn was a violation, a motion has been filed to dismiss the charges “considering how minor the violation is.”

Who would have thought allowing a normal healthy cat — that you own — to roam around your property — that you purchased — would be considered a crime? 

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