A Colorado man is being charged with a felony count of burglary and a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty after being caught on camera abusing a dog.

The man, 31-year-old Gregory Burrell, was caught on a hidden camera entering his female roommate's bedroom where he picked her dog, Rebel, up by her collar, slammed the dog onto a bed, then picked the dog up by the collar again, and this time threw her against a wall.

The event happened on February 3rd in Idaho Springs, where Burrell shared an apartment with the dog owner.

Bruce Brown, District Attorney for the 5th Judicial District had this to say about the incident:

We’re lucky that we had a video to indicate what actually happened otherwise this crime may have never been discovered. It’s just heart-wrenching to see an innocent animal be abused in such a way by both being thrown against a bed and then thrown against a wall for no reason at all. This wasn’t disciplining an animal. This was a gratuitous violent act.

Burrell's roommate allegedly owed him money, which is the excuse that he gave for entering her room, and exhibited remorse for his actions.

Burrell is facing 16 years in prison, but oddly enough that is not due to his horrific actions toward the dog, but rather for entering his roommate's bedroom without permission, which carries a felony burglary charge.

Marty Irby, the Executive Director of the Animal Wellness Action organization in Washington D.C. spoke toward the fact that animal cruelty is only a misdemeanor in Colorado, saying that this incident "speaks that the state law seriously needs an upgrade."

Burrell's next court appearance will be on November 9th, and Rebel's owner has said that the dog has made a full recovery.

The video is tough to watch, but you can find it here.

Check out these 50 fascinating facts about dogs:

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

More From 95 Rock