Surveillance video shows landlord shooting, killing tenants' cat while they're off on vacation

MORGANTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A landlord in western North Carolina faces criminal charges after surveillance video caught him kicking and shooting a tenant's cat.

It happened July 10 in Burke County. The cat's owners said their landlord broke into their home while they were on vacation.

The landlord, Dustin McCormack, said he never permitted his tenants to have cats. He also said he was not trying to hurt the cat, just scare it away.

"It was locked in the house for probably two days unsupervised," McCormack said. "It just peed all over everything. I go to my houses for random checks all the time. They were using a room. The house wasn't theirs."

The cat's owners said they're in shock over what happened.

"I kind of get like I was having a panic attack with what had gone on because it was so cruel," Harmony Chizem said.

"I feel like he should be charged for everything that he's done," Preston Finley said.

McCormack has been charged with breaking and entering and felony cruelty to animals.