NJ man who decapitated seagull that tried to steal French fry from daughter
A New Jersey father who killed a seagull after the bird tried to snatch a French fry from his daughter has been sentenced to eight months in jail on a third-degree animal cruelty charge, a punishment animal rights advocates say is too lenient.
Franklin Ziegler, 30, drew attention in July 2024 when witnesses saw him holding the decapitated seagull while searching for a trash bag near Surfside Pier at Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterparks in North Wildwood. He later admitted guilt to animal cruelty charges and spent 262 days in jail. Court records show he was also ordered to pay fines totaling up to $250.
According to Ziegler’s lawyer, Jack Tumelty, the case has now moved into a recovery-focused probation program designed for people dealing with substance abuse issues. Tumelty said Ziegler was released from the Cape May County Jail on Feb. 12 after entering a guilty plea in Cape May County Superior Court. On March 12, 2026, the court placed him into recovery court probation, which includes supervision and outpatient treatment.
The case moved forward after a grand jury issued an indictment on June 24, 2025, nearly a year after North Wildwood police first charged Ziegler with third-degree animal cruelty.
Animal rights advocates strongly criticized the sentence. Doll Stanley, a senior campaigner with the group In Defense of Animals’ Justice program, described the punishment as inadequate for the seriousness of the offense. Stanley said the incident involved a violent act carried out in public where children were present.
Stanley also argued that authorities should take animal cruelty more seriously because of its documented links to other forms of violence. She said the court’s decision failed to adequately protect both people and animals in the community.
Some people on social media expressed similar frustration, saying the punishment did not match the severity of the act. One commenter wrote that Ziegler should have received a longer sentence and called the incident disturbing and unjustified.
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