A Burke County landlord was charged with animal cruelty after allegedly kicking and shooting a tenant’s cat.
>> Warning: Some of the details in this story may be disturbing to some.
Sheriff’s deputies said it happened on July 10 during a break-in at a home south of Morganton.
Dustin McCormack rents out several homes in the area and claims he never permitted his renters to have a cat.
The cat’s owners said they are in shock over what happened and can’t believe their cat is now dead.
Harmony Chizem and her boyfriend, Preston Finley, shared photos of their cat, Frank, with Channel 9′s Dave Faherty.
The images were captured on a surveillance camera while the couple were on vacation at the beach.
They said their landlord shot the cat after breaking into the home.
“Just crying,” Chezem said. “I kind of get like I was having a panic attack with what had gone on because it was so cruel.”
“I feel like he should be charged for everything that he’s done,” Finley said.
Deputies reviewed video footage and charged McCormack with breaking and entering and felony cruelty to animals.
McCormack said he was trying to frighten the cat by firing his gun and was not trying to kill it.
“I had to get the cat out of the house and when I got it off the porch, it wouldn’t run, so I scared it so it would go away,” McCormack said.
McCormack, who owns a construction company and several rental homes, was renting a room to the couple and said he never permitted them to have a cat.
“It was locked in the house for probably two days unsupervised,” McCormack said. “It just peed all over everything. I go to my houses for random checks all the time. They were using a room. The house wasn’t theirs.”
McCormack is also accused of breaking into the home. However, he said he went there to get items belonging to him.
The couple said they had a friend watching Frank while they were at the beach.
They said McCormack never told them they couldn’t have a cat and are hoping for justice in the case.
VIDEO: Two women charged with animal cruelty in Fort Mill, police say
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