Editor's Note:

Urgent:

Is Obamacare Hurting Your Wallet? Vote in Poll

A cop who shot five kittens to death in a backyard with children nearby won't face any backlash, other than perhaps that of a stunned community.A homeowner in Ohio called the police to remove a family of six cats that were living behind her home in a woodpile, causing a flea problem in her house.Police officer Barry Accorti, a North Ridgeville, Ohio humane officer, was dispatched to house.The homeowner and mother of four said Accorti told her the shelters were full and the cats would go to “kitty heaven,” pulling out a gun and abruptly shooting at the five 8- to 10-week-old kittens, with the woman was standing nearby and her children watching from inside the house, according to the local news website Newsnet5.com.The only surviving feline was the mother cat, who ran away immediately.The woman said her children, who are 5 months to 7 years old, were screaming and crying at the sound of the gunshots.The woman was told the animals would be euthanized but had no idea Accorti would shoot the cats in her yard, about 15 feet from the patio.Police Chief Mike Freeman said that Accorti’s actions were appropriate and he will not be disciplined for the incident.“NRPD recognizes the concerns of those who believe feral cats should not be killed for simply trying to survive but also acknowledges the risks associated with these animals and the need to manage feral cats. Research and other animal organizations accept shooting as an acceptable means of euthanasia,” the North Ridgeville Police Department told Newsnet5.North Ridgeville is overrun with wild cats, and fleas are a huge problem, according to Greg Willey, executive director of the Friendship Animal Protective League in Elyria, adding that trapping, neutering and releasing the cats is a better way control the wild population.The cost to spay and neuter a cat is about $30.