A 30-year-old father from New Jersey has been handed an eight-month prison sentence after killing a seagull that attempted to steal his daughter's chip at a seaside pier.
Franklin Ziegler was spotted holding the decapitated bird whilst searching for a rubbish bag near Surfside Pier at Morey's Piers and Beachfront Waterparks in North Wildwood in July 2024.
The incident sparked outrage among animal welfare campaigners, who have condemned his punishment as inadequate.
Ziegler entered a guilty plea to animal cruelty charges and spent 262 days behind bars, according to NJ.com.
Court records indicate he was also ordered to pay fines of up to $250 (£188).
His lawyer, Jack Tumelty, confirmed that Ziegler has since been placed on a specialist probation programme focused on substance abuse issues.
"He was released from Cape May County Jail on February 12 following a guilty plea entered in Cape May County Superior Court," he said.
"Mr Ziegler was sentenced to recovery court probation (special probation) on Thursday, March 12, 2026, and will be receiving outpatient treatment."
Franklin Ziegler was spotted holding the decapitated bird whilst searching for a rubbish bag
|GETTY
North Wildwood police initially charged Ziegler with third-degree animal cruelty offences following the incident.
A grand jury subsequently indicted him in June last year, around one year after the original charges were filed.
Doll Stanley, senior campaigner for In Defence of Animals' Justice, described the sentence as merely "a slap on the wrist" for such a serious offence.
"This was a brutal act of torture committed in broad daylight in front of children," he added.
US NEWS - READ THE LATEST:
Ziegler entered a guilty plea to animal cruelty charges and spent 262 days behind bars
|CAPE MAY CORRECTIONS
"It is extremely disappointing that while the FBI recognizes the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty, and Ziegler embodies this risk, Cape May County Court has failed to protect community members of all species," Mr Stanley added.
Feeding seagulls in New Jersey's popular tourist destinations - such as Ocean City - has been outlawed due to public safety fears.
Beachgoers caught giving food to the winged pests can be slapped with fines of up to $500.
Feeding seagulls in New Jersey's popular tourist destinations - such as Ocean City - has been outlawed
| PAIn Britain, seagulls are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
However, Natural England can issue licenses to cull small numbers of gulls in instances of public safety threats or for conservation efforts.
The licenses can only be handed out if there is a significant issue that cannot be resolved in a non-lethal way, according to the group.
In the UK, intentionally killing seagulls carries a maximum sentence of sex months in prison and fines up to £5,000.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter