Former Jonesborough K-9 officer at center of Unicoi County animal cruelty case

An Erwin resident has been charged with animal cruelty and questions swirl about the neglected dog, who also once served as a K9 officer for Jonesborough, Erwin and Unicoi County. Nero, a former K-9 officer with the town of Jonesborough and a Dutch shepherd, last belonged to former town of Unicoi Police Chief Nick Hughes. Nero was found severely malnourished and mistreated and is now receiving treatment. The Unicoi County Animal Shelter released a statement this week that, after a tip to the shelter, animal control officers conducted an investigation that resulted in findings that led to 19-year-old Erwin resident Lillianna Long, 1202 Rock Creek Road, being charged with animal cruelty on March 16. In a statement to Six Rivers Media, Mollie Haren, director of the Unicoi County Animal Shelter, confirmed that Long had been charged. Haren said the shelter received a tip about a dog suffering from significant hair loss and that was severely underweight with visible skeletal structures. "The investigation revealed that the dog was left in the care of Long, who admitted she had been the sole caregiver of the dog for approximately two months," Haren said. "Upon further investigation, it was determined that the dog was in very poor condition and needed immediate care," she added. Long is scheduled to appear in Unicoi County General Sessions Court on Thursday, April 9, according to Haren. Unicoi Mayor Kevin McInturff said he understood the outrage. "People, they love their pets and they should – and they should be taken care of," McInturff said. "I saw the picture of the animal, and, I mean, it was ridiculous." Despite the charges against Long, questions still remain on how the dog, purchased to be a K-9 officer for the town of Unicoi, ended up in such dire condition while under the watch of a 19-year-old woman. The town of Unicoi released a statement indicating that Hughes kept the dog even after he resigned as the town's police chief. The release also stated that town officials do not condone violence toward animals. Six Rivers Media reviewed minutes from meetings in late 2022 during which the ownership of the dog was determined after Hughes left the Jonesborough Police Department, where he first worked with Nero, to accept the job as Unicoi police chief. Police departments in both Jonesborough and Unicoi agreed that it would be best for Nero to remain with Hughes since he was already the dog's second handler. According to the minutes, officials in both Jonesborough and Unicoi police departments determined that staying with Hughes would be in the dog's best interest. While the town of Unicoi technically purchased the dog, the sale was made possible by an organization called Paws in Blue, a foundation based in Jonesborough that works to protect and promote the safety and wellbeing of the K-9s of the department through fundraisers and other events. Funds from Paws in Blue are distributed based on where the K-9 officers and departments can be best utilized. The foundation gave the town of Unicoi $4,500 to facilitate the purchase of the dog in December of 2022. Unicoi then cut a check to the town of Jonesborough and the transaction was complete, according to the minutes reviewed in the presence of Unicoi Town Recorder Seth Miller. Despite the exchange of funds, Nero never officially became a K-9 officer for the Unicoi Police Department. "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 K-9 for the town," a statement from the Town of Unicoi said. "The cessation of his employment, Mr. Hughes retained personal ownership of Nero." McInturff, who was a Unicoi alderman at the time of the discussions, said he never understood why the town needed the dog given the department's relatively small size. Following nearly two years as Unicoi's police chief, Hughes resigned effective Oct. 2, 2024, and became an officer with the Erwin Police Department. At that time, according to Miller and McInturff, Nero simply became Hughes' personal dog. "It (the decision) was placed into minutes that when Chief Hughes leaves the town of Unicoi's police department, Nero had to go with him," Miller said. After Hughes worked briefly for Erwin, he became employed with the Unicoi County Sheriff's Department. Through these transitions, Nero continued to not be utilized as a K-9 officer. Unicoi County Chief Deputy Frank Rogers issued a press release from the UCSD about Hughes' current situation. Hughes had been hospitalized with a serious medical condition in late August of 2025, according to the release. Due to the severity of his medical condition and his recovery after a related surgery, he couldn't continue to take care of the dog. Around Sept. 17, 2025, according to the release, Hughes transferred the dog to a family member to ensure Nero continued to receive care. According to a sheriff's department press release issued March 23, Hughes was under the belief that Nero was being cared for by a family member, although the release does not identify the family member. From September 2025 until present, Hughes stated in the release that he assumed that the family member was caring for the dog but that he was not permitted on the property owned by his former father-in-law due to an ongoing legal matter with his ex-wife and her family. The press release also said "the sheriff's office recused itself from the criminal investigation due to the conflict of interest and initiated an internal investigation into Hughes." "Our investigation revealed," the release further stated, "that during the treatment for amputation, Hughes decided that he could no longer care for the dog and gifted Nero to a family member around Sept. 17, 2025." Hughes was hired by UCSD on June 2, 2025. "Shortly after he was hired," the press release noted, "he was hospitalized with a serious medical condition on or about Aug. 26, 2025. He was hospitalized for approximately two weeks, during which time an operation to remove a portion of his left foot was conducted. This surgery was followed up by months of intense physical therapy, including daily sessions in a hyperbaric chamber for wound care." The department's internal investigation revealed that Hughes was in fact not in possession of the dog and that any criminal responsibility rests with Long. Questions remain, however, as to why Nero was never utilized as a K-9 officer in Unicoi County, as well as why the dog remained with Hughes despite being initially purchased by the town of Unicoi. During a phone call with Rogers, he emphasized the sheriff's office strongly condemns the mistreatment of any animal, especially one who has been a police dog or a service dog. "We support the prosecution of the responsible party and adamantly condemn the mistreatment of this dog," Rogers said. He also noted that Hughes was not the owner of the dog at the time of its mistreatment. The release also noted that the UCSD believes that the animal shelter did a good job with its investigation and that the UCSD agrees that there must be accountability for the obvious mistreatment of Nero. The release also indicated that the UCSD is satisfied that the steps taken have been in the best interest of Nero and that members of the UCSD are praying for the dog's recovery. Nero is being nursed back to health through donations to the Unicoi County Animal Shelter. Haren confirmed that once recovered, Nero will return to the custody of his original handler, Tammy Ray, a former employee of the Jonesborough and Erwin police departments.