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Torture charge added to animal cruelty case

If the case of a Garland man accused of throwing a cat into a fire goes to trial, jurors will weigh whether the alleged cruelty rises to the level of torture.

Elijah J. Cottrell, 19, is charged with aggravated cruelty to animals — serious bodily injury, cruelty to animals, and, following a Friday hearing, aggravated cruelty to animals — torture.

Cottrell allegedly threw a cat about 25 feet into the middle of a bonfire in December in Eldred Township, according to court documents.

Dr. Theresa Konzel, the veterinarian who treated the cat, testified at a previous hearing that the cat suffered burns over her entire body, melted whiskers and toenails, burned hair, and that 75-80% of the pads on the cat’s feet suffered third-degree burns that would cause “severe” pain.

Assistant District Attorney Casey Strickland made a motion to add the torture charge saying that the cat suffered “severe and prolonged pain” — language in the torture subsection.

Attorney Alan Conn, representing Cottrell, said the testimony did not indicate that the cat endured “severe and prolonged pain.”

Conn cited Konzel’s testimony about the treatment and said a “fairly minor pain-relieving medication” was prescribed for the cat.

President Judge Maureen Skerda granted the motion.

“The court believes that may be something for a jury to consider,” Skerda said.

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