The drug-addicted woman who was filmed cutting up her pet hamster, which she called ‘Mr Nibbles’, and then eating it, has been jailed for 12 months.
Prosecutor Gordon Holt said: “The two videos seen on social media show the defendant releasing the hamster. Afterwards, she takes the knife and cuts the animal in two.”
In the background of the clip, a man can be heard laughing and saying: “You’re a sick bastard”
During the inquest, Emma Parker admitted she was the one in the video and claimed she was helping the hamster to die after it was bitten by one of her dogs earlier that day.
Parker said the incident happened at her home in mid-May, but declined to say who the people who filmed her were.
“They’re not nice people,” she told law enforcement officers during questioning.
A vet of 27 years’ experience who watched the footage described the content as “deeply disturbing”. He added that “Mr. Nibbles’ would have suffered both physical and psychological damage, as hamsters are prey animals that can feel fear.
The vet added that he had never heard a hamster scream like “Mr. Nibbles” throughout his career.
No pets for the next 15 years
Apparently, after the video surfaced, her house was vandalized and someone even put dog feces in her mailbox.
Parker pleaded guilty in court. In addition to the prison sentence, the American woman was banned from having pets for 15 years.
The US Parliament recently increased the maximum penalty for animal cruelty, and those found guilty can receive from six months to five years in prison.
