In a bizarre case, authorities have charged Craig Vogt of Hudson, Florida, with aggravated animal cruelty after he allegedly killed, cooked, and ate two of his own pet peacocks.
According to a criminal complaint and affidavits from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the incident stemmed from a heated dispute with a nearby neighbor who had been feeding Vogt’s free-roaming peacocks. Vogt, 61, allegedly left a letter in the neighbor’s mailbox in which he admitted to killing the birds “to prove a point” if she continued feeding them.
According to ClickOrlando, when deputies confronted him, Vogt reportedly confessed to killing the birds “out of spite,” stating he had cooked them in a frying pan before eating them. While officers transported him to jail, he allegedly warned them that he would kill all of his remaining peacocks upon release to prevent anyone else from caring for them.
Vogt faces a third-degree felony
Police arrested Vogt, who has an extensive criminal record, on September 23, 2025, and charged him with a single count of aggravated cruelty to animals causing excessive pain or death, which is a third-degree felony under Florida law. Court records indicate authorities held him at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center on a $25,000 bond, and a judge assigned him a public defender. A judge granted the neighbor a protective order on September 29, 2025.
As of now, prosecutors have not filed any additional charges. Officials have not publicly disclosed the fate of Vogt’s remaining peacocks, and they haven’t clarified whether prosecutors or animal welfare officials have taken custody of the surviving birds.
