A Queens dog owner killed an alley cat — and now faces up to two years behind bars.
Richard Ferrugio, 50, of Ozone Park used a car wrench to beat the homeless black-and-white kitty after it supposedly scratched his arm as he fixed his car outside Neir’s Tavern, where he’s a regular, Feb. 7, 2012.
Ferrugio told cops he gave the animal one swipe with the tool, but then, “I saw the cat shaking and in misery, so I didn’t want to let the cat suffer anymore, so I hit it until the cat was dead to put it out of its misery and pain.”
Witnesses told a different story.
Several bar patrons testified that they yelled at him as they watched him beat the kitty to death.
Ferrugio later admitted, “I was arguing with people because they were yelling at me about killing the cat. I got so mad, so I kicked the cat and then left.’’
He was convicted of felony aggravated cruelty to animals, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment and faces up to two years in prison when sentenced July 12.
“He didn’t have to beat the cat like that! That was disgusting,’’ one juror said after the verdict.