Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Wilmington, NC: Ex-boyfriend charged with strangling girlfriend's six-pound chihuahua

Cory Morgan Gray of Wilmington, N.C. was arrested Friday evening for allegedly strangling a defenseless six-pound chihuahua belonging to his ex-girlfriend. When Jenna Branham returned home from class on Friday night, she found Gray and the lifeless body of her two-year-old chihuahua.

"I found him there, and I found little Charlie. He just looked like so in pain and so tense, and he just looked so pitiful and helpless."

When Branham left for class at Cape Fear Community College earlier in the afternoon, Charlie was left safely in his crate.

Although no motive was given as to why Gray may have killed Charlie, Branham had already changed her Facebook status to "single" indicating the couple may have recently broken up.

Authorities arrested Gray who posted $5,000 bond for his release from jail.

Animal lovers and humane supporters want the unnecessary and cruel death of Charlie to be a catalyst for stricter animal cruelty laws in North Carolina.

North Carolina animal cruelty laws state:

(a1) If any person shall maliciously kill, or cause or procure to be killed, any animal by intentional deprivation of necessary sustenance, that person shall be guilty of a Class H felony.

b) If any person shall maliciously torture, mutilate, maim, cruelly beat, disfigure, poison, or kill, or cause or procure to be tortured, mutilated, maimed, cruelly beaten, disfigured, poisoned, or killed, any animal, every such offender shall for every such offense be guilty of a Class H felony. However, nothing in this section shall be construed to increase the penalty for cockfighting provided for in G.S. 14-362.

Felonies are punishable by more than one year in prison. Class A felonies are categorized as the most serious and proceeds down to Class J felonies which are the least serious.

A petition has been created. Click here to sign.

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