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A man in Florida has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly shooting his neighbour’s cat with a BB gun. Deputies said Billy Allen, 63, told them he shot the cat last week because it “looked at him like he owned the place” before it pooped in his yard.

The cat was paralyzed by the shot and had to be put down, according to police.

“It was the most saddest thing to see a little animal [with] literally tears running down its face,” neighbour Heidi Hatheaway told CBS affiliate News 6. Tweet This

She said it was her son who pulled the wounded cat out from under her trailer.

Allen said it was a “poor judgment call” on his part.

“It was not my intention to hurt the cat,” he said. “All I wanted it to do was get it out in front of my walkway, stop pooping. For the flies and the smell is just horrendous.” Tweet This

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He added that he didn’t know the cat was a pet, and had shot at cats before but had never hit one. The police report noted that Allen often shot at cats to keep them off his property.

The cat’s owner, 60-year-old Hung Nguyen, said he now has eight cats.

Allen said he is worried that he will lose his disability income and end up on the street because of his charges.

“It might be a death sentence for accidentally shooting some cat that had no business in my front yard, pooping, to start with,” he said. Tweet This

Before the charges were laid, neighbours said they were worried that a slap on the wrist wouldn’t have been enough.

“What’s to stop him from getting another BB gun and doing it all over again?” said Hatheaway. “If he’s not accurate of how he shoots, what’s to stop him from shooting anybody?”

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