Toniann Antonelli

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Mar 19, 2026, 10:49 AM

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Updated

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A Cape May man who decapitated a seagull that tried stealing his daughter's fries has been sentenced to recovery court and probation.

Franklin Ziegler was sentenced on March 12, court records show. On July 6, 2024, North Wildwood police responded to Morey's Piers on Boardwalk Avenue for reports of an animal cruelty incident. When officers arrived, they spoke with witnesses who said Ziegler, then 29, had decapitated a seagull, then asked boardwalk employees for a trash bag while still holding the bird.

Police said Ziegler was "irate and uncooperative" during the investigation. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The department's Humane Law Enforcement Officer gathered additional evidence that led police to charge him with animal cruelty.

He was initially sentenced to jail time and later released. The 263 days he spent in jail will count for "time served," court records show. In addition to recovery court, Ziegler faces five years of probation.