Maysville residents charged with killing dog

Two Maysville residents have been charged with killing a dog, authorities said.

Michael Gibson, 23, and Jessica Spillane Magdalenski, 22, both of Michelle Lane in Maysville, were charged by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department with two counts of felony conspiracy and two counts of cruelty to animals.

Onslow County Animal Control received a call about possible animal abuse in mid-October, according to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department. The caller said a dog was beaten to death with a baseball bat and burned on a trash pile.

According to warrants, the dog was a Great Dane mix.

Kevin Bryan and two other agents with Onslow County Animal Control responded and found the burned body of a dog on the trash pile, according to a press release. The agents recognized the crime was a felony and called the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the sheriff’s department, Gibson and Magdalenski said the dog tried to attack Magdalenski and her young child. The two also told investigators the dog was aggressive toward the other animals in the house.

Gibson told deputies that no one had a gun so they used a baseball bat, according to authorities.

Bail was set at $5,000 for both Gibson and Magdalenski.