A raccoon that was burned over the weekend in Quincy, Massachusetts, at a local animal shelter.
A Quincy, Massachusetts, man accused of torturing a raccoon by putting the caged animal over a fire pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge Tuesday.
Andrew Chieu, 64, was arrested after the incident in December 2023.
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According to the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office, on Dec. 30, 2023, a neighbor captured video of Chieu with the raccoon over the fire before confronting him and calling police.
“The video showed the defendant stoking a fire in a can with newspapers and repeatedly placing the raccoon, which was trapped in a cage, on top of the fire,” Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a media release.
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The animal was severely burned and taken by Quincy Animal Control to the Weymouth VCA and then to New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth. Despite treatment efforts, the raccoon died two weeks later.
Katrina Bergman, president of the New England Wildlife Centers, called Chieu's actions a "heinous crime." Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, a forensic veterinarian with Forensic Veterinary Investigations LLC who performed the necropsy, said the raccoon suffered "extreme pain."
“We must also maintain the understanding that the torture of this raccoon caused vicarious trauma in witnesses, first responders, caregivers, and the veterinarians who performed her postmortem exam. The pain delivered to an individual radiates and affects society,” Smith-Blackmore said in an impact statement.
Chieu was sentenced to six months in prison and two years' probation. While on probation, he will be prohibited from having any animals.
