An Armuchee woman has been arrested on a felony warrant charging her with aggravated cruelty to animals after authorities say she admitted beating her small dog to death with a sledgehammer. According to the warrant, 63-year-old Teresa Lynn Barnes told officers that she struck the dog with the sledgehammer until it died and then left the animal lying on the sidewalk in front of her High Bluff Road residence. The warrant states that when officers asked Barnes why she killed the dog, she told them she wanted to kill it, so she did. Under Georgia law, there is an important distinction between cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to animals. Georgia Code Section 16-12-4 generally makes it misdemeanor cruelty to animals when someone causes physical pain, suffering or death to an animal through an unjustifiable act or omission. Aggravated cruelty, however, involves more serious conduct and is a felony. Georgia law says aggravated cruelty to animals occurs when a person maliciously causes the death of an animal. The felony statute also covers malicious acts that seriously disfigure an animal or render part of its body useless, infliction of severe or prolonged physical pain, intentional poisoning, and certain cases of malicious deprivation of food, water or other necessary care resulting in death or serious injury. The law defines “malice” to include an actual intent to cause the particular harm without justification or excuse. It can also include a wanton and willful act…
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