Jersey Shore Man Who Beheaded Seagull Gets 8 Months

In Defense of Animals is profoundly disappointed in the New Jersey justice system after an uncharacteristically light sentence was handed down to a man who publicly decapitated a seagull on the Jersey Shore.

Franklin C. Zeigler pleaded not guilty to a single count of third-degree cruelty to animals. He faced three to five years imprisonment pursuant to Title 2C, plus community service of up to 30 days, and restitution under statute 4:22-17 (c)(1). Yet on March 12, 2026, Judge Jeffrey Wilson sentenced Zeigler to just 263 days in jail, plus five years of parole, and $155 in fees and fines for his brutality. He was released and credited with time served.
The horrifying incident occurred on July 6, 2024. The North Wildwood Police Department responded to Morey’s Piers after horrified bystanders, many of them families and children, witnessed Zeigler publicly wrench off a seagull’s head after the bird attempted to take a French fry from his daughter. Zeigler then asked a staff member for a trash bag while holding the dead bird’s body.
Zeigler admitted to killing the bird, but became “irate and uncooperative with officers on an unrelated investigation,” which led to him being arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. In Defense of Animals sent a letter with 11,223 signatures to Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland calling for maximum sentencing, in addition to ensuring he receives mental health counseling and is not allowed to be around animals.

Zeigler has also been reportedly charged with aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal restraint charges for allegedly beating up the mother of his daughter, who escaped from his Villas home by climbing through a closet window in May 2024.

“263 days and a $155 fine is a slap on the wrist for a third-degree felony,” said Doll Stanley, In Defense of Animals’ Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner. “This was a brutal act of torture committed in broad daylight in front of children. International human rights law recognizes the right of children to be protected from witnessing animal abuse. New Jersey law allows for severe penalties and mandatory community service to teach animal abusers the value of life, yet the court missed a critical opportunity to hold this individual fully accountable. Prejudice against any species is unacceptable, and wildlife is not disposable. A fine of $155 does not equate to the value of a life or the trauma inflicted on the community. It is extremely disappointing that while the FBI recognizes the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty, and Zeigler embodies this risk, Cape May County Court has failed to protect community members of all species.”