Cat found 'marinating' in New York man's trunk has a new home; former owner charged with cruelty

Animal lovers across the country were shocked this week to learn the story of a New York cat who was subjected to a bizarre act of cruelty.

Police stopped Gary Korkuc, 51, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., when he allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign Sunday night. Officers heard meowing coming from Korkuc's trunk and investigated. They found the man's black-and-white cat, Navarro, in a cage, covered in oil, chili peppers, crushed red peppers and salt.

Police said Korkuc told them he had intended to cook the cat because it had been "mean" to him.

Korkuc was charged with animal cruelty and released. Navarro was taken to the nearby Erie County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shelter -- the same shelter where Korkuc had adopted him just a few months before. Korkuc had "seemed normal and like he would be a good owner during the first screening," a shelter staffer told Fox News.

Korkuc later denied having planned to eat the cat, telling local news station WGRZ that "that's conjecture and that's an assumption." He insisted to WGRZ that Navarro -- a neutered male by all accounts but Korkuc's -- had been pregnant and miscarried a litter of kittens. He claimed he was "taking it back over to the SPCA when [police] stopped me."

Navarro was bathed several times at the SPCA shelter to remove the oil, peppers and salt, and staff said he took the ordeal in stride. "We can learn lessons in resiliency [from him]," the organization's public relations director, Gina M. Browning, told the Buffalo News.

SPCA officers, determined to prevent Korkuc from adopting an animal at the shelter again, drafted a memo to staff that read in part: "Do not under any circumstances adopt to this man ever again. He claims he did not want the cat because it was 'possessive, greedy and wasteful.' That the cat got pregnant after 'spaying,' even though it was a neutered male. This man is a danger to animals. ... was soaking cat in marinade to 'cook.'"

Fortunately, Navarro's story has a positive outcome. Several area animal lovers stepped forward to adopt him, but Cheektowaga, N.Y., resident Vicki Dankowski was the one to bring the once hard-luck cat home. She decided a change of name was in order, and voila: Navarro became Oliver.

"My sister and I went over to the SPCA and interacted and played with Oliver for a few hours and then started the adoption process," Dankowski explained to Fox News. He joins Dankowski's other cat, Anna Belle, and though the two haven't become fast friends, she's confident they'll get along eventually.

The upshot is, "Navarro spent last night curled up on a bed in his wonderful, new home," according to a statement on the SPCA's website.

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-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Navarro, now called Oliver, at the SPCA shelter on Monday. Credit: Erie County SPCA / Associated Press

Comments

[Deborah Spellman]

It appears this man got off too easy with animal cruelty charges. Anyone who would do this to a cat should have a physiological examination. Perhaps this man belongs in a physc ward.

[Jocelyn Eke]

Oliver is a wonderful cat. I was horrified to hear the man was marinating him. How terrifying for Oliver.
I often pray for abused animals to be rescued. Kudos to the police who investigated. And thank you to the kind lady who adopted Oliver.
He is wide-eyed adorable sweetheart. God bless and protect him the rest of his life.

[epicurean]

Anyone who thinks eating cats is wrong but eats other animals is a hypocrite.

[EH]

Dear lord, are you really all worried about a cat being rubbed with salt? Having to be washed because there was oil in his fur? Go and deal with some real issues.

[OhPlease]

@EH

Woosh!

That's the noise of you missing the point entirely. The problem isn't that the cat was covered in salt or *chili* oil, the problem is that there was an insane man driving recklessly along the road with a live cat marinating in his trunk, whom he admittedly was going to EAT.

LOL... People on the internet.

[Gerald]

@EH, Yes, we need to be worried about a cat that was not only rubbed in salt and oil, but also chili peppers, which can burn the eyes and mouth. Didn't you read? What if he had gone the final step and thrown the cat in the oven on broil? Maybe that wouldn't have been a big deal to you either? This IS a real issue as with any cruelty. Apparently you didn't understand that the man who did this is a sociopath, and that is a big deal because it has the potential to continue if ignored. The man needs serious ongoing psychological observations. You are most correct epicurean.

[Shanna]

What a freakin' psycho! That poor, sweet kitty (he looks almost identical to my 1 year-old tuxedo, Abby!) - trying to lick that oil and those peppers off his fur probably made his little tummy ache something terrible.

I hope that man gets a harsh sentence, though I doubt he will.

In all honesty, I think he needs to be put into a mental institution or - at the very least - evaluated by a mental health professional. What sane person decides to marinate and cook their live cat because they believed the kitty expressed human emotions and reactions that the psycho-owner felt distressed by? What person that is not seriously screwed in the head would douse their cat with oil and peppers and stick him in the trunk of their car to marinate??! Seriously? Omfgwtfbbq??! That's not just crazy, that's *special* crazy.

On the other hand I am so-so glad that Oliver is okay, took it all like a trooper, and now has a happy, loving home. So many thanks to the cops who saved Oliver, the animal shelter that gave him love and comfort and cleaned him up, and the wonderful woman, and her sister, who went to meet Oliver and fell in love with him, then brought him back with them to share their home, love, and life.

I wish all animal abuse stories had such happy endings. Best of luck to Oliver and his new owners (or pets, you know how cats view such things...he owns *you*! =^_^=)

[kathy]

The man sounds totally unhinged psychologically. I'd be willing to bet he has done bizarre things before.
If I were the authorities, I'd definitely send him for a psych evaluation and check his home. I'd be willing to bet he has more surprises for them.

[AnaLiza Liselle Festen]

Those sick people they must be banned from having animals for life!!!! And dump them in Jail!!! Those are The Real Monsters!!!...SICK!!!...
*** ANIMALS DESERVE LOVE AND RESPECT!!!***

[Mary Trainor]

What an outrageous act, followed by a shameless revisionist denial. Mercifully the cat got a reprieve, a new owner, a new life. Sad to say, the gentleman who did this to him likely will do something similar again--only he will be more careful next time. If I were his neighbor, I would keep close watch on my pets.

[L.A. Voter]

It's interesting that everyone is ignoring the comment by "epicurean," who makes a point I'm guessing no one here wants to think about.

Obviously I'm not in favor of people marinating and eating cats, but at least this cat survived. Ditto people who are so outraged by a cat's being put in a garbage can. Yet millions of cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys have far worse things happen to them every day. All the marinating and garbage can cats suffered was considerable fear and no doubt painful skin irritation. And everybody is up in arms at the people who did this to them. But a cow can feel pain and fear. Pigs are universally acknowledged to be more intelligent than dogs. And they are terrorized, tortured and killed every day. Unneeded male dairy calves and male chicks on egg farms routinely die horrific deaths.

I have cats and dogs and I love them. But I don't see how cats and dogs are so much more deserving of compassion for their fear, pain and death than any other animal. It's just our culture that we value them as companions rather than lunch. So feel all the outrage you want, just don't think what you're feeling is righteous outrage.

[Ding Wang]

Typical americans. I assume you, never been outside your country? Lazy americans. Not every one is rich like you. Some people cant a pay for cow. Rodents and Dogs are taste good if cooked right. Furs are good for the winters. Horses too

[Mystie]

EH, let's see if you'd like to be rubbed in crushed chillies and locked in the back of a moving truck for who knows how long. If this psychopath hadn't have been stopped he would have killed the cat and eaten it. It is not ok to do this.
Anyone who can do this type of crime to an animal is capable of perpetrating cruelty to humans as well. It is an immoral act and the man should be punished.

[Mystie]

Ding Wang, like your name you can't be serious. I live outside America and I don't eat dead things, and I'm very healthy. Since you comment on America then it is fair that I comment on your Asia. It seems that only in Asia do they eat everything that has a heartbeat, I have seen your horrific markets, they cannot think of eating anything else even though there is ample food growing everywhere that doesn't have a nervous system to feel pain. If you think it's ok to eat dead flesh of so many creatures then why not eat humans too? After all, humans are the cruel and inhumane species who arrogantly think they are somehow superior when they are not. We are no more than another species that shares this planet with all the rest. Fair is fair.

[Tawrens]

This js for EH. I live in Buffalo near Cheektowaga which terrifies me. Yes Olivier had salt on his fur but if this guy hadn't been driving in a fashion that made the cops pull him over what would of happened? Suffocation, heat stroke, etc. This guy comes from a long line of guys who did stuff very similiar but it was something later in life that made them famous. You might of heard of some of them. Charlie Mason, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and more. All serial killers have a history of animal abuse before they move onto their eventual perference of victims. Marinate Olivier today, tomorrow torture you to death. Think on it.

[kristy]

I CANT BELIEVE THIS SICK FREAK GOT AWAY WITH IT...NOT GUILTY!!!WOW WHAT RIGHTS DO THE POOR CREATURES THAT CANT SPEAK HAVE IF WE DONT PROTECT AND SPEAK FOR THEM?IM SOOO ANGRY.I WOULDA SOCKED IT TO HIM HARD.INCREDIBLE SYSTEM WE HAVE.....

[Gail Steward]

RE cat story The "gentleman" was let off the hook by the judge no fines,jail time or anything!!!