Texas authorities said a San Antonio-area couple disciplined their three children by demanding they brush their teeth with cat feces, using a thorny switch to beat them and punishing them by using a shock collar, WXIN reports.

James Chalkley, 32, and Cheyanne Chalkley, 22, are reportedly charged with injury to a child and are in custody.

James Chalkey faces an additional injury to a child charge from an October 6 arrest, Express-News reports.

He is the biological father of two daughters, ages 5 and 10 and a son, age 3.

Cheyanne Chalkley is reportedly the children’s stepmother.

Arrest warrants revealed that a teacher reported the parents to authorities in September when she noticed the 5-year-old had bruising.

Express-News reports a forensic nursing exam found a number of bruises at different stages of healing on the younger girl. She reportedly told officers that her father would spank her with a belt and she often sustained bruises.

Authorities said they learned the extent of the children’s punishments when they spoke with child protective workers, according to WXIN.

The 5-year-old told officers her father used a dog’s shock collar on her, which left green marks on her skin, court documents indicate.

Express-News obtained a warrant stating that during a police interview, the kids told officers their father told them they bruise easily and because of that authorities want to get their father into “trouble and break up their family.”

The Chalkleys have not been appointed an attorney, according to jail records.

[Featured image: Bexar County]