Babineaux animal cruelty charge dismissed

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A felony charge of animal cruelty against Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux has been thrown out.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the charge was dismissed Wednesday by Gwinnett County (Ga.) District Attorney Danny Porter.

The newspaper report said Porter's office conducted an exhaustive investigation after police charged Babineaux with killing his girlfriend's dog, a pit bull-mix, in February.

"I'm just happy the whole situation is over with," he told the newspaper following the team's practice. "It's been a long process. I've been waiting it out and it's finally over. The main thing is my name is cleared from the whole ordeal."

One of his attorneys, Pat McDonough, said Babineaux likely would have been suspended from the NFL if a grand jury had indicted him.

The paper added Falcons owner Arthur Blank has been under immense pressure to trade the four-year veteran in light of the dogfighting charges facing former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.