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ERWIN, Tenn. — An Erwin woman faces animal cruelty charges after a former K-9 police dog in her care was discovered severely malnourished and experiencing significant hair loss, according to the Unicoi County Animal Shelter.
The shelter announced that Lillianna Long, 19, was taken into custody on March 16 following a tip-off from animal control officers about the dog’s condition.
The shelter’s report detailed that the dog, named Nero, exhibited “significant hair loss” and was “severely underweight with visible skeletal structures.” The investigation revealed that Long had been the sole caregiver for Nero over the past two months, as she reportedly acknowledged.
In pursuit of further details, News Channel 11 contacted the Unicoi County Circuit Court Clerk. A representative responded, stating, “As of 03/23/2026 at 11:00 a.m., the Unicoi County General Sessions Court has not received any arrest documentation for Lilliana Long regarding animal cruelty. Please check back later.”
“As of 03/23/2026 at 11:00am the Unicoi County General Sessions Court has not received any arrest documentation for Lilliana Long for animal cruelty. Please check back later.”
The Town of Unicoi spoke out on its social media page on Monday regarding the alleged animal cruelty, confirming that the dog, K-9 Nero, came to the town’s police department alongside his handler, former police chief Nick Hughes, but he was never certified as the town’s K-9 officer:
The Town of Unicoi is aware of a story circulating regarding former K9 Officer Nero. Nero arrived with Former Police Chief Nick Hughes when Mr. Hughes took over as the Town of Unicoi Police Chief but was never officially certified as the K9 for the Town. Upon the cessation of his employment, Mr. Hughes retained personal ownership of Nero. The Town of Unicoi strongly opposes any mistreatment of animals and hopes to see Nero healthy and thriving with a loving owner soon!
Town of Unicoi
The Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office on Monday provided additional insight into the timeline of Nero’s transition of ownership. The department said in a news release that Hughes was hired by the sheriff’s office in June 2025. Shortly after he was hired, Hughes was hospitalized and had a partial foot amputation surgery in Sept. 2025, and he “decided that he could no longer care for the dog” and “gifted” Nero to a family member.
News Channel 11 has compiled a list of the timeline of Hughes’ employment and Nero’s ownership, as laid out by the sheriff’s office:
- June 2, 2025: Nick Hughes hired by Unicoi Co. Sheriff’s Office; brings Nero with him
- Aug. 26, 2025: Hughes hospitalized for two weeks for a serious medical condition and surgery
- Sept. 17, 2025: Hughes transfers “personal ownership” of Nero to “family member”
- March 16, 2026: Long arrested for cruelty, Nero found emaciated
The release from the sheriff’s office said Hughes reported that he “assumed that the family member was caring for the animal but that he wasn’t permitted on the property due to an ongoing legal matter with his ex-wife and her family.”
The sheriff’s office said it began an internal investigation into Hughes after the arrest, but recused itself from the actual animal cruelty investigation due to a conflict of interest.
“The internal investigation revealed that Nick Hughes was no longer the owner of the dog and that the criminal responsibility for the harm of the animal lies with that family member,” the sheriff’s office stated.
With all this said, the sheriffs office strongly condemns the mistreatment of any animal, especially one who has been a police dog or a service dog. I believe that the animal shelter has done a good job, and we agree that there must be accountability for the obvious mistreatment of this K9. The Sheriffs office has confidence in the investigation, and I regret that this has happened. We are satisfied that the steps taken are in the best interest of K9 Nero and we are praying for his recovery.
Chief Deputy Frank Rogers, Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office
As of Monday, Nero is back with someone who knows him best, his original handler, Tammy Ray. Ray first worked with Nero at the Jonesborough Police Department, where Nero was a K-9 in narcotics and arbitration.
The pair met in Michigan, where they trained together for six weeks.
“He was one of a kind,” Ray said. “He would grab certain things of mine–one time he got a hold of my backup weapon from behind my back seat, and I went back to check on him and saw the Glock parts where he had jerked the magazine out of my gun. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ counting the ammunition making sure he hadn’t swallowed any.”
Ray told News Channel 11 she left the Jonesborough Police Department, and later, Nero was transferred. Though both transferred to separate entities, Ray said the bond between the two never faded.
“He was family,” Ray said. “But I still snuck and seen him when another handler had him.”
Ray added that when she saw the condition Nero was in upon arrival at the Unicoi County Animal Shelter, she was heartbroken.
“I cried because that’s your partner,” Ray said. “He’s always going to be your partner no matter what.”
“Honestly, if I hadn’t known the condition that he would have been in – I feel bad for leaving him. I failed him as a partner, and I wished I hadn’t left him.”
However, the former partners in crime will soon be reunited.
“I plan on adopting him,” Ray said. “So, he’s going to be taken care of, and he’s going to live his retirement out with balls, toys, whatever he can imagine.”