Joe Waters has pleaded not guilty to the felony animal cruelty charges he faces for allegedly beating his dog in the head with a sledgehammer last year.

Waters, 48, must now wait to get on the DeKalb County Superior Court calendar for trial, expected sometime later this summer.

The dog recovered after a week in an emergency veterinary office. The 9-year-old Australian shepherd has been living with his rescuer, Robert Kennedy, since. Waters remains free on $25,000 bail as he waits to appear before Judge Cynthia Becker.

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Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff