A Columbus, Georgia man has been convicted of animal cruelty after a brutal stabbing left his dog severely injured. The case, which involved a dog named Hank being stabbed 22 times got a lot of attention because the crime was so upsetting.
Andrew Childs, the defendant, is now facing jail time and restitution payments for what he did after a full investigation and trial.
Prosecutors say that on October 8, 2024, Judge Jeff Tickal of the Lee County Circuit Court gave Childs a four-year term that will be split into three parts: six months in jail and three years of probation with supervision.
Childs also had to pay $12,904 in damages, which he did right before he was sentenced.
Childs was found guilty of Cruelty to a Dog in the First Degree at a bench hearing and was then sentenced. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office got a call on October 22, 2021, about a hurt dog at a shop off of US Highway 280 in Smiths Station, Alabama.
A Lee County Animal Control worker found the dog under a car with a lot of blood all around it. The dog was almost dead. Several stab wounds were found on the dog.
The cop rushed the dog to the Animal Health Centre in Opelika, where Dr. Buddy Bruce checked out the dog, whose microchip named it “Hank.” Dr. Bruce found that Hank had been cut with a small blade about 22 times, mostly in the upper chest.
Andrew Childs, who was named as Hank’s owner, said the dog was sick and needed to be put down, but Dr. Bruce found no signs of illness or any other condition besides the serious injuries.
Childs told the police that he drove Hank from Columbus, Georgia, to a remote area in Lee County, where he stabbed the dog and then left it there because he thought that was the only way to kill it.
Even though Hank had serious injuries, he lived and got a lot of care from Dr. Bruce.
The trial was led by Chief Assistant District Attorney Clay Thomas. Investigator Greg Sumner and the Lee County Animal Control team also did good work.
People said that their work not only got the guilty decision, but also saved Hank’s life.Hank was adopted by a new family and now lives happily in Pennsylvania after getting better.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas said nice things about everyone involved, even Dr. Bruce, who took time from his veterinary business to testify as an expert during the trial.
