A man who admitted to torturing and killing kittens has been freed from prison just one day into his four-and-a-half-year sentence.

Last month, Thomas Martel, 25, entered a guilty plea to animal torture and aggravated cruelty to animals after prosecutors claimed he severely injured and killed several kittens at his flat in 2023. Authorities allege that he drowned, mutilated, and even microwaved the kittens.

Neighbours are already campaigning against his release and distributing leaflets throughout the area alerting pet owners to his conviction, while an animal rights advocacy organisation prepares to launch in direct response to the high-profile local case.

Martel, from Chicago, received a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence from a Cook County judge. Court documents reveal, however, that he accumulated more than 1,000 days' worth of credit for wearing an electronic tag prior to his trial.

On 23 June, he was transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Yet he was released that very same day to begin six months of Mandatory Supervised Release.

Under the conditions of his release, he is forbidden from having contact with or owning any animals.

The circumstances have triggered fury amongst the wider Chicago community, prompting animal advocates to cite the case as evidence of the need to reform Illinois state laws.

Chicago area-based charity, SAYv Animal Organisation, is spearheading the campaign against Martel's release. Executive Director Jackie Groberski explained that experts remain baffled as to how he managed to acquire so many kittens, and urged local pet owners to take additional precautions to safeguard their beloved animals.

"We still don't know exactly how Thomas Martel obtained all of the kittens he tortured and killed," Groberski said. "What we do know is that it's incredibly easy to obtain free animals online."

She advised pet owners to ensure their animals are spayed and neutered to reduce vulnerability, while also urging caution regarding adverts for "free kittens" or "free cats" appearing online.

Groberski noted that the high-profile case prompted the formation of a new advocacy group called Shelly's Law Coalition, with The Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation as a founding member, which will make its public debut next month at an animal rights rally.

The coalition is gearing up to pressure lawmakers into closing the legal loophole that allowed Martel to avoid a custodial sentence. Specifically, it will campaign for legislation preventing defendants convicted of felony animal torture from being able to count time served wearing an electronic monitoring device during their pretrial period towards their prison sentence.

The coalition will further campaign for tougher sentencing in cases involving multiple animal victims.