The Newspaper Agency Corp. — which handles classified advertising for the Deseret Morning News and The Salt Lake Tribune — has made it a policy for a number of years to not accept advertisements for free pets because of Humane Society concerns.

Of the two kittens that the former girlfriend brought to the shelter in June, one has since been adopted and the other has regained its health and is available for adoption at the shelter. The third kitten is still being cared for at the shelter.

"It is concerning because the link between animal abuse and violence is huge," Martin said.

A 1997 American Humane Association survey of the 50 largest shelters for battered women in the United States reported that 85 percent of the women and 63 percent of the children who enter those shelters mention incidents of pet abuse in the family.

"It seems that he was using the kittens to keep her around," Martin said of the local case. "She feels sorry for them and he uses that and it becomes part of the vicious cycle."

Utah is one of only a few states without a felony animal cruelty statute, even for aggravated animal abuse. Animal abuse in Utah is a class B misdemeanor, usually punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Another local man, Marc Vincent, pleaded guilty in Salt Lake City's 3rd District Court last month to one count of aggravated animal cruelty after putting his wife's dog in a 200-degree oven for about five minutes after cornering it with a leaf blower. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6.

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com; preavy@desnews.com