Vet School Worker Beat Puppies to Death
- by: Nadia Donato
- recipient: Athens-Clarke County DA & Univ. of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital
This petition calls for the Athens-Clarke County DA to vigorously prosecute and seek the maximum penalties in the case of the litter of puppies beaten to death in Athens-Clarke County, GA. If Ashley Council is found guilty, we demand that the DA seek the maximum and with provisions that she is forbidden to ever own or work around animals again.
From conflicting reports, it is still unclear if Ms. Council still works at the GA Vet Hospital. If she still does, we urge the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital to immediately suspend Ashley Council pending the outcome of the investigation and immediate termination if she is found guilty. We believe that anyone who is charged with multiple animal abuse felony offenses should not be employed at a vet school.
UGA Student Charged with Killing Puppies Denies Accusations
Reported by: ANDREA JONES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/02/07
A University of Georgia student has been charged with seven felony counts of animal cruelty for allegedly beating a litter of puppies to death.
Athens police said Ashley Council, 20, violently killed the weeks-old puppies and left them in a box behind a convenience store last month.
Council had been employed as a clerical worker at UGA's Veterinary Teaching Hospital since last August. She was suspended from her job Monday, pending the outcome of the investigation, UGA officials said.
Police traced a shipping label on the box, which originally held a comforter from JCPenney, to Council. Animal control officers also found a long metal pipe on top of the box that held the seven puppies' bodies. Council was arrested early Thursday morning and taken to Athens Clarke County jail. She was released on $7,000 bond, $1,000 per count.
Athens-Clarke County Police Detective Rebecca Taft said the puppies were covered with bruises and some had open wounds. "They suffered," Taft said. "They were all huddled together in a little bunch."
Taft said the black, tan and white puppies were a small breed mix and she estimated their age between seven and eight weeks old.
Council was a part-time student clerical worker and her job did not involve contact with animals, vet school spokeswoman Tracy Giese said in an e-mail. Taft said Council adopted a dachshund from Animal Control in June. She called Animal Control the morning she allegedly killed the puppies to ask about surrendering them. She was told she could bring the puppies in, said Patrick Rives, animal control superintendent.
"She was told all she had to do was live in Clarke County and it wasn't a problem." The student was not supposed to have dogs in her apartment, Taft said. Full story.
OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Student Denies Beating Puppies to Death
Reported by: JUANITA COUSINS & ALEXIS GARRABO
The Red and Black
Excerpt: "Whatever happened was unintentional," said Ashley Rose Council, a junior from Ellenwood, in a telephone interview Tuesday with The Red & Black. "This isn't anything I'd do."
"Rives (Animal Control Superintendent) said officers traced the puppies to a call from a woman earlier that morning inquiring if there was a limit of animals she could surrender to animal control. She told animal control she had seven puppies she wanted to put in the shelter. An officer told the woman there was no limit if she was an ACC resident and recommended she spay the adult dog, the report said."
"If convicted, Council faces up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine per felony count."
UGA Student Held in Puppy Beating
Reported by: Denis O'Hayer
11Alive- NBC News
Excerpt: "Council is now charged with seven felony counts of animal cruelty. The animal control superintendent said that hours before the bodies were found, a woman called the center, saying she had seven puppies she didn't want."
"We were able to trace back that telephone call and telephone number, and we were able to match that name from the shipping label and the adoption application," said animal control Superintendent Patrick Rives."
Police: UGA Vet School Worker Beat Puppies To Death
WSBTV News
Excerpt: "A spokesman for the vet school, Tracy Giese, told the AJC Council is still employed with the hospital but does not have contact with animals."
We urge the DA to seek the maximum jail time (each sentence to be served consecutively) and fines, along with mandatory psychological counseling, and a prohibition against ever harboring or working with animals. As this is an extremely violent crime, NO diversionary program should be considered.
From conflicting reports, it is unclear if Ms. Council still works at the University of GA Veterinary Teaching Hospital. If she still does, it is an outraged! We urge the University of Georgia's Veterinary Teaching Hospital to immediately suspend Ashley Council pending the outcome of the investigation and immediate termination if she is found guilty. It is not enough that she is no longer working with animals. Someone charged with multiple, felony animal abuse charges should not be employed at a vet school or clinic.
It is the violent nature of this crime of bludgeoning 7 innocent and helpless lives to death that we find extremely disturbing. There is no stopping a person capable of this kind of gruesome act. It is well documented that those who abuse animals only move on to terrorize the community and begin to target humans. First a puppy, next a child. We must call a halt to the acceptance of cruelty to animals and enforce a policy of harsh punishment for these crimes. Please do not take this case lightly.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
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