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Rotary District 7410 Governor visits Dallas Rotary Club

Wilkes-Barre Christmas parade and festivities set for Nov. 21

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A city man convicted of stuffing his girlfriend&#8217;s cat in a washing machine before placing it in a bed sheet and repeatedly bashing it against a wall was sentenced on animal cruelty charges Thursday in Luzerne County Court.</p><p>Donovan E. Mackey, 21, received 6 to 18 months from Judge David W. Lupas, who cited the &#8220;extreme cruelty&#8221; of the killing in his decision to hand down the maximum sentence allowed for animal cruelty cases under the current state Humane Act.</p><p>Mackey, who told Lupas he was high at the time of the killing, must also pay prosecution costs, undergo a mental evaluation and comply with recommended treatment. He is prohibited from owning animals.</p><p>His girlfriend, Shannon Shafer, wept as Lupas handed down the sentence.</p><p>Luzerne County Assistant Public Defender Mark A. Singer, who represented Mackey, said the defendant was self-medicating with spice at the time of the incident because his mother was in a coma. Singer felt the sentence was &#8220;a little high,&#8221; considering Mackey admitted to the crime.</p><p>Singer said Mackey maintained he never put the cat in the washing machine, but acknowledged killing it.</p><p>According to police, Mackey on April 13 went to 648 N. Main St. looking for Shafer, who wasn&#8217;t home at the time. Mackey then began trashing Shafer&#8217;s bedroom, breaking items and tossing them around the room.</p><p>After hunting down the cat, Mackey placed it inside a washing machine and turned the machine on. Witnesses said they heard the cat&#8217;s screams as Mackey removed it from the washing machine, wrapped it in a bed sheet and slammed it against several walls.</p><p>Police later found Mackey at another residence in the midst of a domestic spat with Shafer.</p><p>Asked about the cat, Mackey told police he killed the cat because it was a &#8220;dirty flea bag.&#8221;</p><p>Prosecutor Garry S. Taroli said he was pleased with the court&#8217;s &#8220;well-considered and thoughtful&#8221; sentence.</p><p>&#8220;If you kill or maim an animal in Luzerne County, you will go to jail,&#8221; Taroli said.</p><p>Mackey will begin serving the sentence in January, following time currently being served in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for $334 in unpaid traffic fines.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Donovan-Mackey-4-14-15.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mackey </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Donovan-Mackey-4-14-15.jpg</photo0><caption0>Mackey </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Luzerne County judge sentences Wilkes-Barre cat killer