New Jersey pet advocates say the story of accused Aberdeen cat killer Anthony Appolonia should serve as a cautionary tale to cat lovers.

Anthony Appolonia is facing 14 counts of animal cruelty for allegedly adopting free kittens, only to torture and kill them. To help avoid similar incidents, Humane Society officials recommend surrendering kittens to a shelter instead of giving them away through the classifieds.

"It's a stranger," says Roseann Trezza, director of the Associated Humane Societies in Newark. "You want safety and love and comfort for that animal, and you don't know who you're giving it to. It's a bad idea."

Trezza says people are often reluctant to turn their animals over to a shelter due to the possibility of the animals being euthanized. However, she insists that possibility is a better future than torture. Shelters often screen the adoptions to ensure the animals are being provided with a good home, according to Trezza. Additional safeguards such as adoption fees and mandatory spay and neutering policies are also used in the screening process.

Authorities are continuing to investigate Appolonia and plan on presenting evidence of his alleged crimes to a grand jury.

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