This month finally brought a measure of justice for kittens and cats who were heartlessly acquired from Craigslist and then mercilessly slain. Thousands of In Defense of Animals supporters spoke out for the cats, and we are happy to report that your voices were heard.

We first shared news of the horrific acts of animal cruelty committed by Kaine Louzader of St. Peters, Missouri in May of 2019. Louzader’s neighbors had caught him dumping the body of a dead cat and called the police. A police investigation revealed more bodies of tortured dead cats and kittens in Louzader’s residence. The killer was arrested and charged with two felony counts of animal abuse.

What made Louzader's crimes all the more disturbing is that he picked up his victims from "free to good home” ads that were posted on Craigslist

Due to the deeply distressing nature of this case, we launched an alert. Over 11,000 In Defense of Animals supporters called on the prosecutor in this case to push for felony animal cruelty charges against Louzader.

Finally, on June 2, 2020, Louzader pleaded guilty to felony animal abuse and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Louzader is a serial animal killer and clearly a danger to society. We would have liked to have seen more prison time given the possible number of victims in this case and the amount of suffering each animal likely endured at Louzader's hands. We hope the state of Missouri recognizes this and continues to keep a watchful eye on him well after he serves his time and is released from prison.

This horrific case would never have happened if animals were respected as individuals instead of bought and sold as commodities. Please warn your friends and family to always adopt animals from a reputable rescue; never sell or buy animals through Craigslist or via any other means.

Please take the Guardian Pledge: www.idausa.org/pledge.

Animals are fellow beings, they are not our property, we are not their owners.