Man, woman sentenced to five months in jail for killing cat

Jody Anderson and Peter Rossiter also banned from ever owning an animal again

STEPHENVILLE — It’s a case that has generated a lot of public outrage, but Judge Lynn Cole said she could not let that influence her when it came to sentencing the two people responsible for the death of Mittens the cat in Port aux Basques two years ago.

Cole sentenced Jody Anderson and Peter Rossiter to five months in jail on Friday afternoon, Oct. 22, when they appeared before her in provincial court in Stephenville.

Anderson, 40, of Port aux Basques and Rossiter, 53, of O’regan’s were convicted in December 2020 of killing the cat with an axe in Port aux Basques on Sept. 10, 2019.

Mittens had been placed in Anderson’s care by the In Memory of Shadow rescue group after his owner died.

Anderson had known the owner and his cat, and the rescue group planned to continue to support the cat financially.

On the night Mittens was killed, Anderson and Rossiter entered the bathroom at her apartment with an axe, a garbage bag and the cat. When they left the room there was something in the bag, but it was not moving. Mittens has not been seen since.

The Crown proceeded with its case by way of indictment, which meant the maximum sentence Cole could consider was five years.

The Crown had been seeking a 20- to 24-month sentence, while the defence argued for 90 days in jail.

After reviewing case law that showed a range of sentences, from conditional discharges to two years in jail, Cole said the higher sentences were given in situations where extreme brutality and cruelty existed.

She said the facts in this case did not establish that, nor did they establish beyond a reasonable doubt the level of Mittens' suffering.

She said that doesn’t mean a significant period of incarceration was not needed.

It was noted Anderson has felt unsafe since she was charged and has endured abuse in public and through social media.

The public has been angered by the crime, but Cole said she could not impose a sentence based on vengeance or to abate public outrage.

Cole said rehabilitation had to be considered for both Anderson, who was ranked at a medium risk to reoffend, and Rossiter, who was ranked at a high risk to reoffend.

While no motivation was given for their killing of the cat, Cole said it was not a sudden impulsive act and Anderson could have returned the cat to the rescue group at any time.

In addition to sentencing the two to five months in jail, she ordered that they be placed on probation for two years following the completion of their sentence and they be banned for life from owning, having the custody or control of, or residing in the same premises as an animal or a bird.