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Adorable 'Domesticated' Pet Bobcat On The Loose In NJ
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 7, 2014
Modified Apr 7, 2014
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Ginny Fine/1010 WINS
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 7, 2014
Modified Apr 7, 2014
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FYI: If you see a 38-pound bobcat wandering around southern NJ, it *might* be domesticated. But don't take any chances—let the Stafford Township police know, because they've been searching for Ginny Fine's bobcat, Rocky, for the past week. Fine explained, "He was playing with my dog and they ran through the house, banged into the storm door and it popped open."
Fine got Rocky from Montana three years ago and he's escaped before, prompting the township to fine her for the "bobcat hybrid." But Fine insisted, "He's sweet, he's nice, he's super affectionate with me... He is a house pet... He is third generation captivity. He’s never been wild, his parents have never been wild. He has no aggression at all. He has never hurt anybody... His inclination is to be more timid with a stranger." Plus he's declawed!
Animal control is hoping to trap Rocky. The local police captain told NBC 10 that Fine could be "be subject to immediate impoundment of the animal until such time as there was a further court hearing to determine what would be done with it." Fine does have a permit for Rocky.
Bobcats are native to New Jersey; state authorities call them "elusive."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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