WARNING: This post contains information regarding an act of deadly cruelty to cats. There are no graphic images.
Nobody should be able to crush cats alive in a trash compactor and get away with it. Please, raise your voice with us right now.
According to publicly available information, on February 27, 2025, three at-the-time employees of Jayco RV’s Middlebury facility allegedly placed two live cats into a trash compactor, resulting in their deaths. Initially, criminal charges were filed under Indiana Code § 35-46-3-12, which prohibits knowingly or intentionally torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal.
These charges were dismissed in June by Prosecutor Vicki Becker, who claimed that the former employees’ actions are not animal cruelty under Indiana law. This is ludicrous and unacceptable. Prosecutor Becker then declined to refile the case
Prosecutor Becker’s refusal to refile is deeply flawed, morally and legally. Alley Cat Allies has obtained an independent, forensic veterinary expert opinion confirming that the cats would have suffered severe and prolonged pain due to the alleged perpetrators’ actions. The refusal to refile charges under these facts is a flagrant dereliction of prosecutorial duty.
Alley Cat Allies has been fighting for the victims of this horrific act of cruelty for months. We contacted Prosecutor Becker, calling for the reinstatement of cruelty charges. We urged advocates from Indiana and beyond to join us in our call. Now, we have contacted the Indiana Attorney General to call for a special prosecutor who will replace Prosecutor Becker in this case and pursue criminal charges.
We are also offering our expert prosecution support to ensure this case results in proper justice. Please, join us and people throughout Indiana in calling for a special prosecutor who will affirm Indiana’s commitment to protecting animals from unlawful cruelty and abuse. Act for these cats, whose lives were taken cruelly, painfully, and senselessly.
Protecting Cats from Cruelty Protects Us All
Alley Cat Allies provides expert support to prosecutors in animal cruelty cases across the country, calling for abusers to be penalized to the fullest extent of the law. In so doing, we are setting a precedent that will shape how these cases are prosecuted into the future.
Cats deserve to be protected from harm, and their lives have inherent value. Furthermore, extensive research has confirmed The Link between violence against animals and violence against people. For all of our sakes, animal cruelty in all forms cannot stand. That is why we fight, including in court, for justice.