CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A man is facing animal cruelty charges after he allegedly stabbed, tortured and killed several cats in Kanawha County.
Officers with the Kanawha Charleston Human Association charged Wayne Mallory Jr. Thursday with three counts of animal cruelty.
A news release from the KCHA said four cats were seized as a result of the investigation — three living and one deceased. Humane officers said the cats were stabbed, stomped and/or skinned. The deceased cat was dismembered.
“This is the most disturbing case of animal abuse our investigators have ever seen,” said Chelsea Staley, executive director of the Humane Association, in a statement. “To think someone in our community is capable of such violence toward animals is unsettling. Our team is committed to ending animal cruelty, and we’re hopeful this investigation spared the lives of countless future animal victims. The surviving casts are being cared for by KCHA’s medical team and are expected to make a full recovery.”
A search warrant was issued to search a home in South Charleston after neighbors said they had witnessed severe animal cruelty.
Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies are investigating.
Mallory faces up to 18 months in jail and could pay up to $6,000 in fines.