FAYETTEVILLE -- A West Fork man pleaded not guilty to aggravated animal cruelty Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court in connection with shooting a cat with an arrow in January.
Fayetteville police arrested Micaeleb Prather, 19, of 14045 Wallin Mountain Road after he went to the police station to answer questions about the incident, according to his preliminary arrest report.
A cat with an arrow lodged in its head was found near the intersection of East Huntsville Road and Happy Hollow Road in southeast Fayetteville. The cat survived, according to Sgt. Craig Stout.
Prather's next court appearance is set for May 22.
January's incident didn't appear to be related to another shooting of a cat with an arrow in June, Stout said. That cat was shot on South Duncan Avenue and also survived.
In a separate animal cruelty case, Dana and Joshua Gabbard pleaded guilty in late February to felony aggravated animal cruelty charges after she and her husband beat and killed a dog on Betty Jo Drive in front of a child.
Dana Gabbard, 26, also pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges -- animal cruelty and endangering the welfare of a minor. She was sentenced to 86 days jail time served, seven years probation, a $1,000 fine and was ordered to complete anger management counseling and undergo a psychological examination and comply with the recommendations.
Joshua Gabbard, 33, also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a minor. He was sentenced to six years probation, fined $1,000 and was ordered to complete anger management counseling and undergo a psychological examination and comply with the recommendations.
The Department of Human Services took custody of the Gabbard's child after he told police he saw the Gabbards hurt the dogs, according to an arrest report.
Dana Gabbard called a hotline Oct. 26 and said she shot and killed her dog, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. Police found the dog, Gizmo, dead in a trash bin. The body was sent to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission in Little Rock for an autopsy.
The autopsy report said the animal had head, neck and snout trauma, according to the arrest report,
Both Gabbards told police they beat the dog. Dana Gabbard told police she shot the dog with a BB gun. Joshua Gabbard said he snapped the dog's neck and beat it to death with a shovel, according to the report. Another dog in the household was turned over to animal control.
A third person, Corey Douthitt, 22, was charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty in connection with the incident but has not yet been to court on the charge because he keeps amassing unrelated charges of theft of property and breaking or entering, prosecutors said Wednesday. Douthitt's next court appearance is set for April 4.
NW News on 03/19/2015