Indeed it was not. But if it were, he should be able to do this, although it is rather horrendous in nature.
It should be a misdemeanor, though. I would have punched him if he'd done it to my puppy, but I wouldn't have pushed anything beyond restitution. The Old Testament describes how we are to handle such intrusions with livestock owned by others, and I am happy with that.
Not to start a religous war, but should I assume you don't eat shellfish and follow all the other teachings of the Old Testament? Isn't there something in there about not beating your wife with a stick thicker than you thumb (I may be wrong on that one).
If someone takes my pet from me and chops their head off a quick punch in the mouth and $50 ain't gonna satisfy me. Parrots can live as long as humans, and my dog is a better friend to me than most people could ever hope to be.