Dead Cat Leads to Animal Cruelty Charge for East Whiteland Man

An East Whiteland man who admitted shooting three cats with a BB gun has been charged with animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.

On April 5, a severely injured cat was taken to , where it was euthanized. An investigation lead the Chester County Humane Society Police to Jeffrey Jones, 46, who allegedly admitted to shooting three cats in his yard that morning.

The police affidavit spelled out the details:

A black domestic short haired cat was taken to the Malvern Veterinary Hospital in Malvern, Pennsylvania, unable to walk, in shock, very cold, and in a significant amount of pain. An x-ray was done immediately showing BB/pellet fragments, as well as extensive damage to the cat's hip and abdomen areas, resulting in the cat being euthanized. 

The veterinarian performed a necropsy on the animal and concluded it had suffered an internal hematoma—a collection of blood outside a blood vessel.

Jones is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Judge Chester Darlington on May 23. A first-degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to $10,000 in fines and five years in prison.