WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A 30-year-old man accused of beating his girlfriend’s cat to within inches of her life, then hiding her body while he pretended to help look for the pet will now face felony charges in the case.
On Monday a Marathon County judge granted a request to amend charges against Andrew Gehr, who had originally been facing a misdemeanor count of intentional mistreatment of animals. According to investigators, Gehr had beaten the cat to the point where her eye popped out of its socket with blood and dirt covering her face.
Court documents show a veterinarian had described the injuries as the equivalent of being kicked by a horse or another large animal, likely causing a loss of brain function and blindness. The animal was put down.
Friends, family, and animal activists had been clamoring for increased charges in the case, picketing outside the Marathon County courthouse on hearing dates and writing letters to the judge with their request.
Gehr will return to court on March 23rd for a new initial appearance on the felony count. He had been free on a signature bond, but that will likely be reset when the new charges are formally filed.
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