Lee County man accused of shooting neighborhood cat with BB gun

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — A Fort Myers man is facing animal cruelty charges after the Lee County Sheriff's Office says he shot a cat with a BB gun in the leg.

Deputies arrested 42-year-old James Laney on animal abuse charges. According to the arrest report, Laney told investigators the cat killed his chickens.

"It's a very particular person that abuses or hurts an animal, and we can't tolerate this, and we will not tolerate it. I have zero tolerance," Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.

Laney was taken into custody Saturday afternoon after neighbors alleged he used a blue BB gun to shoot a neighborhood stray cat in its leg. Neighbors told WINK News off camera that the cat had been fed for more than a year and was friendly with dogs and children in the neighborhood.

The arrest report says Laney was in his neighbor's backyard on Saturday, and once his neighbor went inside, he shot the cat in the leg. His explanation to investigators was that the cat killed his chickens.

"It concerns me because first it's a cat, then, you know, maybe it's a kid or a neighbor next. You know, something is wrong there," said Lee McLaws, who lives in the area.

McLaws says the chickens should have been protected.

"This is not a farm; it's residential. So, chicken shouldn't have been here, and should have been in its yard, fenced in," McLaws said.

Marceno stressed the importance of if you see something, say something.

"The cat appears to be okay and is going to recover from the injury. But again, I will not tolerate people who hurt animals in this county. If you hurt an animal, every single piece of technology, the animal cruelty task force, we're coming out in full force," Marceno said.

Laney was charged with aggravated animal cruelty but bonded out of jail. His next court date is set for mid-September.