Uniondale Man Accused Of Dousing Kitten In Bleach
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP/1010WINS) -- A Long Island man accused of dousing his girlfriend's kitten in bleach and throwing it against a wall has pleaded not guilty.
Shomari Ferguson, of Uniondale, entered the plea Wednesday to charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and misdemeanor. He faces up to two years in prison if convicted.
Bail was set at $25,000. Ferguson, 22, remained in custody on an unrelated charge of second-degree robbery.
Ferguson's attorney, Greg Madey, says his client denies abusing the cat named Callie.
The Nassau district attorney's office says that Ferguson tortured and physically abused the 5-month-old kitten between February and March 2009 at his girlfriend's East Meadow apartment.
The kitten was left in a closet with severe injuries and was near death before it was rescued by the girlfriend's roommate and saved by a veterinarian, officials said.
The veterinary staff discovered that the kitten was suffering from shock, extremely low body temperature and respiratory distress from a punctured lung, officials said. The kitten also had a fresh puncture wound to the face and a freshly broken femur bone.
The DA says the kitten has recovered and was adopted out to a loving home.
