Man Jailed, Accused Of Trying To Marinate His Cat

A western New York man has appeared in court to face animal cruelty charges, after trying to marinate his cat so he could eat it, authorities said.

Police discovered the cat in the trunk of a car being driven by Gary Korkuc, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., when they pulled him over for running a stop sign in August, Buffalo Police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said.

He fled to Maryland following his arrest but was extradited back to Buffalo.

The animal was found in a liquid mixture of oil, crushed pepper, salt and other ingredients, and Korkuc told police it was in preparation for a meal.

The cat, a male, survived. Several baths cleaned him of the concoction, and he seemed to be in good health otherwise, said Erie County SPCA spokeswoman Gina Browning.

Korkuc, 52, appeared in Buffalo City Court, where he is charged with felony aggravated cruelty to an animal and several traffic charges.

Due back in court, he was being held at a local jail.

The cat was adopted almost instantly following the incident, Browning said. 'We had a list of people who wanted to adopt this cat,' she said. — Reuters