A Lawrence man accused of shooting a stray cat twice last May is taking his case to trial, and his attorney says he has an alibi.

Lawrence Municipal Court officials said Tuesday a judge scheduled a Jan. 19 trial for Jimmy R. Wilkins, 73, who faces charges of animal cruelty and discharging a firearm in the city limits. Lawrence police said animal control officers rescued the 2-year-old cat, later named Bullet, from a trap at a mobile home park in the 100 block of Michigan Street. Police said a witness alleged he heard a neighbor shoot what sounded like a gun earlier in the day and then observed the cat in the trap.

Officers said the cat had been shot twice.

But Wilkins’ defense attorney Hatem Chahine said Tuesday he was filing a motion for an alibi witness to show Wilkins was visiting his sister that Memorial Day weekend and not in the area when the shooting occurred. Chahine said Wilkins and his wife are animal lovers and that his family has often given stray cats they’ve trapped to the humane society or released them in other areas.

“He’s very concerned about animals,” Chahine said. “They love animals, and these charges are adversely affecting him.”

According to the Lawrence Humane Society, Bullet recovered from his injuries. A family later adopted him.