Home > News & Events > MAARSianChronicles > Issue 11: February 2005 > Take Action for Avian Welfare: Man Charged with Biting Head Off Quaker Parrot

Take Action for Avian Welfare

Man Charged with Biting Head Off Quaker Parrot

On February 6, 2005, Bruce J. Coates, a lieutenant in the Fire Department in Edgewater, Florida, allegedly bit the head off of of his neighbor's Quaker Parrot, Izzy, at a party. Join PETA and avian and animal welfare advocates across the country in writing to Florida State Attorney John Tanner to demand jail time and psychiatric intervention if Mr. Coates is convicted of this felony.

You may send your letters to:

The Honorable John Tanner

State's Attorney, Seventh Judicial Circuit

251 N. Ridgewood Ave.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114-7505

PETA's press release and sample letter are shown below, for more information.

PETA Press Release

PETA Demands Jail Time, Psychiatric Intervention if Alleged New Smyrna Beach Animal Killer is Convicted

Community Should Fear for Public Safety, Say Experts

For Immediate Release:

February 10, 2005

Contact:

Daniel Paden 757-622-7382

New Smyrna Beach, FL — This morning, PETA sent an urgent plea to State Attorney John Tanner, urging him to vigorously prosecute Edgewater Fire Department Lt. Bruce J. Coates. Coates faces charges stemming from a February 6 incident in which he allegedly bit the head off of a neighbor's parrot, named Izzy, while intoxicated at a party, before fleeing the scene. According to news sources, the walls were spattered with the parrot's blood after the incident.

"People who demonstrate such blatant disregard for life and desensitization to suffering­especially a paramedic whom the community depends on to protect life­can pose a serious risk to the people and animals they encounter," says PETA Cruelty Caseworker Daniel Paden. "Mental-health professionals and top law-enforcement officials consider cruelty to animals to be a red flag."

PETA is asking that — if convicted and in addition to a period of incarceration — Coates be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling. PETA is also urging authorities to seize any animals currently in Coates' custody and to prohibit him from owning or harboring animals.

For more information, please visit HelpingAnimals.com.

PETA's Letter to State's Attorney John Tanner

February 10, 2005

The Honorable John Tanner

State's Attorney, Seventh Judicial Circuit

251 N. Ridgewood Ave.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114-7505

Dear Mr. Tanner:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the world's largest animal rights organization, with more than 800,000 members and supporters dedicated to animal protection. This letter concerns a recent cruelty-to-animals case that your office is handling, involving New Smyrna Beach resident Lt. Bruce J. Coates, 34, said to be a paramedic with the Edgewater Fire Department. Coates faces felony charges stemming from his reported February 6 decapitation of a neighbor's parrot, named Izzy. According to news sources, an intoxicated Coates pulled the animal from an acquaintance's shoulder and bit her head off, spattering the walls with blood. Coates reportedly fled the scene after spitting the head onto the ground and dropping the animal's body.

Mental-health professionals and top law-enforcement officials consider cruelty to animals to be a red flag. The American Psychiatric Association identifies animal abuse as one of the diagnostic criteria for conduct disorders, and the FBI uses reports of cruelty to animals in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known criminals. Experts agree that it is the severity of the behavior — not the species of the victim — that matters.

We ask that, upon conviction and in addition to a period of incarceration, Bruce J. Coates be required to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counseling at his own expense — the safety of the community may depend on it. Because repeat crimes are the rule rather than the exception among animal abusers and given the violent and supremely idiotic nature of his alleged actions that day, we implore you to take every measure necessary to ensure that Coates is barred from all contact with animals and to immediately seize any animals who remain in his charge.

On behalf of our thousands of members in Florida, we thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Daniel Paden, Cruelty Caseworker

Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department

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