Andrea Rosebrock 
Ashley Rose Council, 21, University of Georgia student, was arrested last September after a seven puppies were found brutally beaten to death, dumped in a box and the box left in a convenience store dumpster.
The mixed-breed puppies, estimated to be only 7 or 8 weeks old, were beaten with a pipe, also found at the scene.
At the time, Council was a a junior at the University of Georgia and a lab technician at UGA’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
A shipping label on the box led authorities to Council she was arrested and charged with seven counts of felony animal cruelty. She had previously called Athens-Clarke Animal Control to ask about surrendering the weeks-old puppies to the Beaverdam Road shelter.
Last October when the case went before a grand jury, she was indicted on 7 felony counts. As felonies for the killings, she was originally facing up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. For some reason, the case was again presented to a grand jury, a different grand jury, and the charges were dropped to misdemeanors.
Rather than face trial, Council entered an Alford plea, This allowed Council to accept punishment without conceding guilt by admitting prosecutors had enough evidence to convict her.
And her punishment for the brutal killing of those 7 innocent and defenseless little puppies, PROBATION!!! Yup, another ’slap on the wrist’ punishment for a killer!
Judge David Sweat Council to serve 120 hours of community service and fined her $600.
Sweat heard more than three hours of evidence from prosecuting and defense attorneys before he sentenced Council.
Authorities had no solid proof to support allegations Council beat the dogs to death, according to District Attorney Ken Mauldin.
“What you had was, the puppies were in her care when these actions happened with no direct evidence to show exactly what she did,” Mauldin said.
Even so, prosecutors asked the judge to order Council to serve jail time.
“It was our opinion she should have gotten confinement, and it is still our opinion,” Mauldin said.
Sweat sentenced Council as a first-offender, meaning her convictions will be expunged if she completes probation.
Council currently is enrolled at UGA, but no longer works at the veterinary hospital, UGA spokesman Tom Jackson said. (Online Athens)
Well, doesn’t this just send a strong message to animal abusers?? Oh yeah, beat, kill, abuse, neglect and you can still get off, walk away! What the hell good are laws if no one does anything about them?? This is just beyond pathetic.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, WELL HERE WE GO AGAIN ANOTHER ANIMAL KILLER GOES FREE & POOR HELPLESS ANIMALS ARE DEAD. AND THIS PERSON WANTS TO WORK WITH ANIMALS, PLEASE TELL ME SHE IS PRHIBATED FROM WORKING WITH ANIMALS OR OWNING ANY ANIMALS.
Any person may, sadly, find themselves in a position to have to “dispose” of an animal. In ethical and moral people, this is done by properly taking them to a vet or other appropriate facility, or offering them for adoption at a shelter. A person who has the sadistic energy to systemically beat and batter small animals to death, does it not because it must be done, or because it is the only option available to her, but because she enjoys it. It may not be a “happy” sort of pleasure, but a “thrill” reaction to having such power over defenseless creatures. In short, it is a form of mental illness which may be relatively mild in nature, or a well-hidden but deep and impulsive form of sadism which can and does lead to more severe abuse as seen in people who murder their babies by beating or stomping them. I would want this woman closely watched in her future dealings not only with pets but with children. It is deplorable that our justice system seems to place no value on the evidence of very real connection between animal abuse and psychotic behavior toward humans.
Let me at her…
It is a shame our system can allow animal abusers to get away with such crimes against innocent animals. For some reason they just do not seem to do enough to people who commit animal crimes, which is why so many people continue to do it.
Oh just send her to Oklahoma and I can take care of her. People like this are just frickin evil!!! I hate her and I wish evil things upon her…crap where is my voodo dolls…
Big Gorilly Hugs
To make matters even worse she has racked up 8 other misdemeanor charges since then and UGA still has done nothing…She is stilla student there!!!