Athens woman who allegedly starved dog to death indicted for animal cruelty

Ciarae Bradford

By Joe Johnson

A grand jury has indicted an Athens woman on charges she starved her dog to death and illegally disposed of its body.

Ciarae Bradford, 33, was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and unlawful disposal of a dead animal, according to the indictment filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court.

The indictment stems from her arrest in April 2024 after a neighbor reported a dog’s carcass was behind Bradford’s Mabry Drive residence.

Animal control officers found the dog’s decomposing remains in a wire cage in a creek bed.

Bradford claimed that the dog had been poisoned, but a necropsy revealed it had died from severe malnourishment, with no poison in its body.

Following her arrest, Bradford was released from custody upon posting $1,300 bail.

She is scheduled to be arraigned on April 15.