The unfolding story in Unicoi County, Tennessee, has once again brought attention to an animal cruelty case surrounding a former police K9. On Thursday, the dog’s previous owner, Lilliana Long, made a brief appearance in court, where proceedings were postponed until June 25.
Long, a 19-year-old resident of Erwin, faces charges of animal cruelty following the discovery of Nero, a retired police dog, in a severely malnourished state and suffering from significant hair loss.
The incident came to light after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced on March 30 that it had launched a probe into the troubling condition of K9 Nero.