A 30-year-old New Jersey man, Franklin Ziegler, is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly decapitating a seagull that had stolen a French fry from his daughter.
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According to the North Wildwood Police Department (NWPD), the incident occurred on July 6, 2024. Officers responded to Morey’s Pier, located on Boardwalk Avenue, after receiving an animal cruelty report.
Upon arrival, officers learned that Ziegler, then 29 years old, had allegedly decapitated a seagull. While officers were investigating, Ziegfler became irate and was uncooperative with officers on an unrelated investigation, according to the NWPD. As a result, he was initially arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
A follow-up investigation conducted by the NWPD unveiled statements made by Ziegler, photographs, and witness statements. As a result, in connection with the alleged seagull decapitation, he was charged with third-degree animal cruelty.
As per the New York Post, the alleged decapitation occurred after the seagull in question snatched a French fry from Ziegler’s daughters. This reportedly enraged Ziegler, which led to the alleged decapitation. Then, as per the outlet, Ziegler would ask a staff member for a trash bag while carrying the decapitated bird.
Outrage
The incident sparked a wave of backlash in the community, with a Care2 petition being signed by more than 82,000 people. Ziegler is described as a man with “grave anger and control issues,” with his alleged actions labeled “extremely concerning.”
“He did so in front of his young daughter, too,” the petition added. “If he is allowed to continue on without any real consequences or repercussions, who knows what the object of his next violent outburst will be. Another animal? A person? A child?”
The petition asked authorities, in addition to the punishment applied to his animal cruelty charge, for Ziegler to be sentenced to “mandated mental health counseling” and to never own any animals.
On Wednesday, July 16, Franklin Ziegler pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
Barry Fast, who runs Seagull Control Systems, as per The Post, stated that seabirds, including seagulls, can be fearless when they associate people with food. According to him, they receive two to three calls daily involving a seagull.
“The solutions that we have must mitigate seagull infestation without disrupting people on the boardwalk,” Fast said. “Seagulls are flocking birds; they tend to colonize locations where they have a constant food source.”