Editor’s Note: The video above is previous coverage on this story.

ASHLAND, Ohio (WJW) – A man arrested on charges of animal cruelty in Ashland County is going to prison.

Christopher Ferrell, 51, was arrested in December of 2023 after the discovery of a cat that had been so badly abused it had to be euthanized.

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Ashland residents found the cat. It had been shot in the head and was placed in a litter box that was taped shut and thrown into a dumpster.

The cat was put down after veterinarians determined the cat was beyond care due to blunt-force trauma and a gunshot wound to the head.

Ferrell initially entered a not-guilty plea to charges of cruelty to animals but changed his plea to guilty in May 2024.

He faced a judge for sentencing Friday morning.

Ferrell was given 12 months on the animal cruelty charges, which is the maximum penalty under the statute.

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Police officers also seized a “sawed off” shotgun from Ferrell’s home at the time of the arrest.

He received 6 months for the firearm charge, which will be served consecutively on the animal cruelty sentence, which means Ferrell will spend 18 months in prison.

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