On August 6, a 26-year-old Kennewick, Washington, man was arrested after someone spotted him pushing a kitten into a wool sock, then knotting the top shut.

When Animal Control officers stepped in, they found him roughly handling a second kitten, and when they tried to step in, he turned aggressive toward them too, which is when Kennewick police got involved.

Officers detained the man and used a warrant to search his van, where they found eight more kittens along with the one from the sock. All nine kittens are now safe and receiving veterinary care through Tri-Cities Animal Services.

The man was booked into the Benton County Jail, but he only faces a charge of second-degree animal cruelty. For many animal lovers, that charge feels far too light for what happened: nine kittens in one man's possession, one of them stuffed inside a sock, and aggression directed at the officers who came to help them.

This petition calls on the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to take a hard look at this case and consider whether a stronger charge fits what actually happened here.

These kittens cannot speak up for themselves, but the people who love animals can. Letting a case this severe move forward as a lesser charge sends the message that cruelty on this scale comes with little real consequence.

The kittens are safe now. The man who hurt them should not get to walk away with the lightest charge available. Sign the petition to demand full prosecution, before the next animal pays the price for a system that let this slide.