Kitten stomper gets jail sentence

A Brighton Township man who said he stomped six kittens to death because "they weren't being taken care of" was sentenced this morning to jail.

Cody Michael Tyler faced a possible prison sentence for his guilty plea to three counts of animal cruelty causing death for stomping the kittens to death, but a Livingston County Circuit judge sentenced him to one year in the county jail and three years on probation.

"I feel guilty for what I did every day," Tyler told the judge. "I did something horrible. I wasn't thinking honestly."

"I feel horrible," he added as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

Livingston County Animal Control officers were called to a home in a subdivision near U.S.-23 and south of M-59 in Brighton Township when a 911 caller reported Sept. 20 that the kittens had been stomped to death.

The short-haired kittens were about 3 weeks to 4 weeks old and they were stomped with a large shoe or boot.

An adult cat in the household that appeared to be the kittens' mother was not harmed, officials said.

Tyler's mother and maternal grandfather said after the hearing that Tyler is not the man people assume he is based on the kitten incident.

Tyler's grandfather, Bob Smith, recalled a incident when he and Tyler found a feral cat on the family's property and he said that is more indicative of his grandson's character.

"I was afraid to touch the cat," but Tyler was not, Smith said. "Cody loves animals."

Contact Livingston Daily Press & Argus justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or at lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.