Woman who killed cat faces six new charges

Jody Anderson is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 3

A woman who made headlines and sparked public outrage for killing a cat in Port-aux-basques is facing six new criminal charges.

Jody Anderson, 41, is scheduled to make an appearance in provincial court in St. John’s Feb. 3 on charges stemming from two separate police files: one from Nov. 24, 2022, that alleges she threatened a woman, threatened the woman’s property and violated two court orders; and one from Dec. 6, 2022, which alleges she robbed a Needs convenience store in St. John’s and breached a court order.

Two of the breaches relate to a probation order, handed down by a Stephenville judge in October 2021 as part of Anderson’s sentence for unlawfully causing an animal unnecessary suffering.

She and Peter Rossiter were sentenced to five months in prison followed by two years probation for killing Mittens — a cat that had been placed in Anderson’s care after its owner, her friend, had died — with an axe.

A witness described being at Anderson’s apartment one night in September 2019 and seeing her and Rossiter go into the bathroom with Mittens, an axe and a garbage bag.

They emerged carrying something in the garbage bag and left the apartment for 25 minutes. Mittens hasn’t been seen since.

Anderson was charged four months after her sentencing with violating the terms of her probation, which includes a lifetime ban on owning or residing with an animal, and was released on a second set of court-ordered conditions to await her court date.

She pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to go to trial before the charge was dismissed in early December when the Crown called no evidence.