On Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at approximately 1:10 p.m., Calvert County Animal Control dispatch received a call in regard to two kittens having been thrown into the river by a white male with a beard in a maroon in color Buick SUV.
An Animal Control Officer arrived on scene at approximately 1:25 p.m. and located one small black and white domestic short hair type kitten soaking wet curled up next to the riverbank at the beach. When police attempted to pick up the kitten it ran off up into the brush.
The Animal Control Officer made contact with a woman who advised she watched a man walk down onto the beach with one cat carrier and then he came back and grabbed another carrier, but both carriers were empty when he came back up and left the scene. When she went down to the river, she saw two kittens swimming back to shore.
Animal Control Officer’s were unable to locate either kitten and set two traps.
Deputy Shoemaker said Brent advised he had caught the kittens on his property on Macs Hollow Road, in Prince Frederick, because they kept getting into his trash cans and that he took them down to play in the water due to being covered in feces and urine.
On August 13, 2021, the black and white in color kitten was located laying in the trap and unable to move and covered in maggots. The kitten was transported to the Prince Frederick Animal Hospital to be seen by the vet due to its condition and injuries. The vet decided a humane euthanasia would be the best thing to do due to the severity of the kittens’ condition and injuries. The kitten had open wounds to its hind end, back legs, left side of the neck, and mid to lower back, all of which were covered in maggots
On August 15, 2021, at approximately the Control Center received a call in regard to the black in color kitten being inside one of the traps. The kitten was described as a black in color domestic short hair type kitten that didn’t seem to have any injuries.
On August 16, 2021, the Linda L Kelley Animal Shelter staff advised that black kitten had a thin body score being approximately a 3 out of 9, but otherwise overall healthy. The shelter staff advised the kitten had an abrasion on her right outer ear.
On October 10, 2021, Brent was charged with 6 counts of animal cruelty, and is scheduled to appear in Calvert District Court for a preliminary hearing on December 6, 2021.
