Guinea Pig Head Gear Gets Virginia Man in Trouble
Police charge man wearing animal's hide on his head
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A Virginia man is facing an animal cruelty charge for allegedly skinning a guinea pig to make a head ornament, police said.
Charles Woodson, 40, of Front Royal, bought the guinea pig for this fashion experiment at a Noah's Ark Pet & Aquarium store in February, according to court documents. Neighbors later saw him wearing its hide on his head, Northern Virginia Daily reported.
Police seized a guinea pig hide including its head from Woodson's home, Warren County Deputy Laura L. Gomez said. They also have a photograph of Woodson wearing the hide, and animal control Deputy Gerald Cubbage witnessed Woodson wearing the head ornament, Gomez told Northern Virginia Daily.
She said authorities acted fast in this case in order to prevent such behavior from spreading.
All pets are treated equally under the law, Gomez said, no matter what purpose for which they're purchased.
"Our concern was to find out what was going on in the residence," she said. "It's out of the ordinary to have someone skin a guinea pig and make an ornament out of it."
So Woodson was scheduled for a mental health evaluation.
Woodson faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor charge. A hearing was scheduled for March 23.
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether Woodson has secured an attorney.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC4 Washington
Posted Thursday, Mar 11, 2010 - 5:56 PM EST
