In recent weeks both a man and a woman have been charged with senseless violence against small defenseless animals - the woman for beating her boyfriend's cat to death, the man seriously injuring a girlfriend's dog.

Sarah Favorite is a 25-year-old woman who allegedly became angry at her boyfriend's Siamese cat Yoda. Annoyed by the animal, the young woman allegedly throttled the 17-year-old cat and repeatedly bashed it against the floor on November 29 and November 30. Suffering injuries including three broken legs, Yoda was euthanized after her owner came home to his East 86th St. doorman building apartment and found the cat lying in a pool of its own blood on the floor. Sarah Favorite was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

Shortly after the killing of Yoda the cat, a man in the same Upper East Side neighborhood was charged with savagely beating his girlfriend's miniature Pinscher named Franklin. Doug Bolton, who is 24 years old, allegedly arrived at his girlfriend's doorman building on East 91st St. and proceeded to beat the 7 lb. animal so badly that he was found barely alive and with one eye protruding from his skull. Franklin is recovering, but is blind in one eye and is suffering from brain damage. Bolton is being charged with felony animal cruelty.

Both incidents are sadly reminiscent of the pathetic former Mets pitching prospect turned wannabe actor Joe Petcka this spring. The 205 lb. man beat his girlfriend's 8 lb. cat to death because he accused his girlfriend of loving the animal more than she loved him. The vet who examined the animal said that it died in extreme pain after suffering extensive injuries.

For information on how to fight animal cruelty, the ASPCA has an information resource page here.