A Tennessee man was arrested after he allegedly admitted to shooting his dog, skinning the animal and telling authorities that he planned to eat the pet.
Eddie McCoig was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals following an incident that took place in May.
Authorities learned of the allegations when a deputy with the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a man intentionally killing his dog on May 20, according to an arrest warrant viewed by People.
A witness reportedly told the deputy that McCoig allegedly “killed his dog and skinned it and put it in a cooler near his home,” according to the warrant.
The deputy then went to an address in Newport where McCoig was found so that they could speak about the allegations.
“I told Eddie that I was there to investigate the alleged killing of a dog and then the dog had been skinned,” the officer wrote in the warrant, per the outlet. “Eddie stated (he did shoot his dog, slit its throat, skin it and was going to eat it.)”
The warrant went on to state that McCoig allegedly agreed to continue speaking to the deputy and he even shared critical information about the crime. At one point, he pointed to a red cooler and revealed that was where the dog’s remains were being held.
“I observed remains of a large breed type dog skinned and cut up with the dog’s paws still clearly visible in the red cooler,” the officer stated.
McCoig was then arrested and taken into custody at the Cocke County Jail.
It is not currently clear if McCoig has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
McCoig is next scheduled to appear in court regarding the charge on Wednesday, June 10.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
In the state of Tennessee, those found guilty of aggravated cruelty to animals can be sentenced to serve between one to six years in prison, be ordered to pay fines up to $3,000 or will be forced to forfeit all companion animals, according to Justia U.S. Law.
If you know of or suspect animal abuse or neglect, you are urged to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through their website or call your local animal control officer.
