A blog called Rattlin’ Georgia’s Cages
wrote at some unspecified date recently:
I beg to differ with Mr. Pritchard’s opinion regarding “malicious
intent”.
Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard says, “I don’t believe through
our investigation, nor through any info we received from the Department
of Ag, are able to indicate any malicious intent.”
Mr. Pritchard should understand that it matters not if this was done
with “malicious intent” or not. “Malicous intent” should be
determined by the investigating criminal agency, not a county manager.
“Malicious Intent” is only important in determining whether the
crime should be filed as a felony, or a misdemeanor.
The law is crystal clear regarding the denial of necessary medical care,
and/or humane euthanasia, for any animal deemed to be in need of such. Any
time a shelter impounds/houses a live animal, the shelter is required,
by law, to afford that animal with humane care – to include necessary
medical care or treatment.
The blogger then goes on to quote Georgia Code, which only brings
in the word “maliciously” for higher fines or imprisonment
for aggravated cruelty to animals.
The blogger summarizes:
Continue reading →
Sheriff Prine was at last night’s
budget hearing (his office accounts for more of the county
budget than anything else).
Afterwards I asked him how matters such as the complaints about
the animal shelter could be brought to the attention of his office.
He said that was a code enforcement matter, and if code enforcement
thought it rose to a criminal matter, they would take it to Magistrate
Court, which would issue a warrant, which would go to the Sheriff’s office,
where it would be pursued.
