LAKE COUNTY, Ohio -- A 23-year-old man convicted of breaking into a home, burglarizing it and killing two of the homeowner's kittens was sentenced on Monday.

William Whitlow will spend four years in prison for the incident that took place earlier this year in Eastlake.

NewsChannel5's Joe Pagonakis reported that Whitlow's victims' owners believe he should have received more time in prison.

Whitlow admitted to cutting one of the kittens in half and putting the other kitten in a freezer, leaving it to die.

Miriam Couch stood up in the Lake County courtroom and told Judge Richard Collins how her life has been destroyed by Whitlow. Couch said her two children were left traumatized by the burglary and the kittens' deaths.

Whitlow left the courtroom stone-faced, saying nothing.

Whitlow's attorney Chuck Greieshammer told the judge that Whitlow was extremely sorry about the crime and that he was drunk when he carried out the act of cruelty.

Lake County Humane Society Director Candice Hertzle said the Whitlow case is an example of why Ohio laws need to change, making animal abuse a felony.

Whitlow has also been fined $2,000 and can never legally be a pet owner. The judge ordered that he be placed on five years of probation after his release.