A Fort Stewart soldier has been charged with shooting a neighbor’s cats in Hinesville on Friday. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

According to an incident report filed by Hinesville Police Officer Jonathon Penrod, the officer arrived at the 100 block of MLK Drive and made contact with Sylvia Dobbs. He was told by the woman that her neighbor, identified as Curtis Ray Hudson, had been shooting at her cats and injuring them with a BB rifle.

Dobbs was notified of the shooting when neighbor Guy Isaacs, who lives several houses from Dobbs, heard a loud popping sound, a cat scream and several cats run onto his property. Isaacs then went to investigate where the noise was coming from.

According to the incident report, Isaacs began to drive down the street and saw Hudson standing over what appeared to be a dead black cat. Isaacs called Dobbs to inform her of what he observed. As Dobbs was leaving her mobile home, she allegedly discovered Hudson with three kittens, which belonged to her and had been staying on her porch. She asked Hudson what he was doing with the kittens. He said he was taking them to animal control.

Penrod made contact with Hudson, who told the officer with a smile on his face that he had been shooting at the cats with a BB rifle. Hudson, who currently lives on Holmestown Road in Midway, is in the process of moving into a house next door to Dobbs. Hudson told the officer the last cat he shot was in the process of soiling his yard.

Dobbs told another responding officer, Jeffrey Haiungs, that an orange cat that had been fine earlier in the day appeared to have difficulty walking on its hind legs.

Liberty County Animal Control Officer Gary Bell, responding to the call of an injured animal, had Dobbs capture and place the animal in a cage, where the animal was observed to have difficulty walking.

Bell took the cat to a local veterinarian. In a telephone interview Saturday, Liberty County Animal Control Director, Randy Durrence said the cat had sustained nerve damage to its leg.

"There was a small hole found on the animal but no indication of any broken bones," Durrence said.

According to the report, Bell said, Hudson had been turning in cats for a number of days to the animal control office and spoke with Bell about shooting the animals. Bell told Hudson it was against the law to shoot animals, especially in Hinesville.

According to HPD Det. Nollie Bentley, Hudson has been charged with cruelty to animals as well as criminal trespass stemming from dents made to the front door of Dobbs’ residence — allegedly made by the air gun — and the damage of a plastic water dish, which contained a pellet hole in it. He also has been charged with theft by taking by having in his possession the three kittens Dobbs allegedly found him with. All the charges are misdemeanors.

According to the report, no blood or deceased animals were found.

Hudson was arrested and taken to the Liberty County Regional Jail in Hinesville. It is unknown if he has posted bond.