Florida man kills and eats his pet peacocks after neighbor kept feeding them

A Florida man has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty after admitting to killing and eating his own pet peacocks in a dispute with his neighbor. Deputies say he carried out the act out of spite after learning she had been feeding the birds.

The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Craig Vogt of Hudson, kept several peacocks that roamed freely on his property. His neighbor told the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office she often fed the animals, despite Vogt’s previous warnings not to. According to investigators, tensions between the two had escalated before the latest incident.

Authorities were contacted on September 21 after the woman discovered a letter in her mailbox in which Vogt described killing two of the birds. The criminal complaint states Vogt wrote that he cut their throats, prepared them in a frying pan, and ate them for dinner. When deputies arrived, Vogt confirmed the account and told investigators he killed the peacocks out of anger toward his neighbor.

Peacocks slain to stop neighbor from feeding them

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrested Vogt and charged him with aggravated cruelty to animals with excessive pain or death. Court records show he was booked into the Pasco County Jail on a $25,000 bond and assigned a public defender. The complaint also alleges Vogt threatened to kill the rest of his birds to prevent anyone else from feeding them.

As of his first appearance in court, Vogt remained in custody. He has not yet entered a plea in the case. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the details in its complaint, which was first reported by Fox 13 Tampa Bay.