A South Bryan man is headed to state court on accusations of shooting and killing his neighbor’s dog in March.
Associate Magistrate Judge Thomas Waters issued a warrant to Stewart Smith for cruelty to animals during a probable cause hearing on Aug. 17, according to Bryan County Clerk of Courts Becky Crowe.
According to the March incident report from the Bryan County Sheriff’s Department, Smith said he shot and killed his neighbor’s pit bull after he saw it running in his back yard.
Smith told deputies he thought the dog was responsible for as many as 20 dead chickens on his property during the week before the incident, though he had not seen the dog attack any chickens. According to the report, Smith said he had never known the dog to have attacked or bitten a person.
The owner of the dog, Aaron Howard, was not at home when the incident occurred, but was cited for his dog being loose.
Cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor charge in Georgia, so the case will go to state court, Crowe said.
“We haven’t received the warrant yet from the sheriff’s office, but should in the next couple of days,” she said. “Once it’s received in the courts, it will be filed and a court date for arraignment will be scheduled.”