Kittens allegedly found dead buried in snow, Hamburg defendant charged

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A defendant from Hamburg was charged with overdriving, torturing and injuring animals Monday following a January incident that left two kittens dead and buried in the snow, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office announced.

On the evening of Jan. 17, Town of Hamburg Police allegedly conducted a welfare check on Southwestern Boulevard after the occupant had expressed concern about her ex-partner, two cats and three kittens. She was unable to get in touch with them for several hours. Police say they located the two cats in the apartment.

Police later allegedly found 37-year-old Joshua Taylor, also known as Moriah Taylor, in a nearby parking lot. On the balcony of the apartment, police say they found the three kittens in a zipped bad in a pillow case that was buried in the snow.

Two of the kittens were deceased and one was in critical condition. The deceased kitten’s cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation and/or hypothermia by the Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The third kitten eventually recovered after suffering from the same conditions.

Taylor was charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, one count of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance.

They are scheduled to return to court Aug. 8 and remains released on their own recognizance. Taylor faces a maximum of two years in prison.

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.