Jody Cothron, 39, who was charged with animal cruelty after a cat was allegedly abused in the Brookhaven Animal Rescue League facility on April 15, pleaded not guilty in Brookhaven Municipal Court Tuesday.

Some media outlets incorrectly reported that Cothron had pleaded guilty.

BARL members alleged that Cothron entered the facility around noon and asked to see the cats. Normally, a caregiver would be present to supervise, but staff reports they had left the building temporarily to capture a dog that had gotten loose.

When a caregiver later entered the cat room, she found blood splattered around the room and a plastic stick was in pieces from where the man allegedly hit the cat, a BARL Facebook post stated. BARL took the cat to a veterinarian, where it later died. The veterinarian believes the cat was stomped during the incident.

BARL President Lu Becker said there was no connection between Cothron and BARL or any of the animals at the facility.

Mississippi law has two categories of animal cruelty — simple and aggravated. Both are misdemeanors with maximum penalties of six months in jail. The lesser charge carries a maximum $1,000 fine; aggravated animal cruelty carries a maximum fine of $2,500. A second or subsequent aggravated charge within five years is a felony with harsher penalties.

Becker said she believes the animal cruelty laws in Mississippi are inadequate.

“To be able to torture, mutilate and kill a domestic animal and it only being a misdemeanor — it’s ridiculous,” Becker said. “Maybe this senseless act of cruelty will be the catalyst we need to get something done about the laws.”