ASHLAND — A man accused of abusing a cat and having an illegal weapon pleaded not guilty during a hearing at Ashland County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.
Christopher P. Ferrell, 50, of Ashland appeared before Magistrate Paul Lange for a hearing to enter a plea on the charges filed against him on Tuesday.
Ferrell, appearing on video from Ashland County Jail, waived his right to a preliminary hearing through his appointed attorney, Gregory Tarkowsky.
Authorities said police found the injured cat on Dec. 30 in a litter box that had been taped shut and discarded into a dumpster on West Man Street in Ashland.
The cat was alive, but “severely injured,” said Ashland County Prosecutor Chris Tunnell in a press release.
What happened?
Officers took the cat to The Cat House Feline Sanctuary, a nonprofit that cares for homeless cats. Among its injuries were “blunt force trauma and a penetrating wound to the head believed to be from a pellet gun,” read the release.
“It was determined that the cat was beyond care and was euthanized,” Tunnell stated.
Ferrell faces two felonies of the fifth degree — cruelty to companion animals and unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance.
Ashland police officers, during their investigation, seized a pellet rifle and other firearms from Ferrell’s possession. Authorities said one of the weapons is a “sawed off” shotgun. State law prohibits shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches long.
Ferrell’s bond was set Tuesday at $25,000 cash or surety, according to court records.
The next hearing for the case is set for Jan. 19.