TBI launches investigation into malnourished K-9 officer

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into an animal cruelty case involving a former K-9 officer for the town of Jonesborough. The request for the investigation came from District Attorney Steve Finney, a TBI spokeswoman said. But records also show Nero, a Dutch shepherd, found malnourished and mistreated was supposed to take on the same role for the town of Unicoi, but that never happened. Nero is at the center of an animal cruelty case that has also been confusing in regard to who has had care of the dog after its owner, former Unicoi Police Chief Nick Hughes, faced an unexpected medical crisis in August of 2025. By that time, Hughes had left the town of Unicoi and was employed by the Unicoi County Sheriff's Department. The Unicoi County Animal Shelter, after receiving a tip, directed animal control officers to conduct an investigation that resulted in 19-year-old Erwin resident Lillianna Long being charged with animal cruelty on March 16. The dog in the case was identified as Nero, a former K-9 officer with the Jonesborough Police Department. Mollie Haren, director of the Unicoi County Animal Shelter, confirmed that Long had been charged. Haren said the tip received by the shelter described 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. According to a press release issued March 23 by the UCSD, 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 noted that "the sheriff's office recused itself from the criminal investigation due to the conflict of interest and initiated an internal investigation into Hughes." Hughes, Nero's handler at the Jonesborough Police Department, left to become police chief of Unicoi, starting his employment on June 27, 2022. He took the dog with him, but the dog did not serve in any official capacity for the town of Unicoi. From the start of Hughes' employment until late December, no other action was taken regarding Nero. However, a motion about a memorandum of understanding for the sale of K-9 Nero to the town of Unicoi does not appear in the minutes until a BMA meeting that took place Dec. 19, 2022. A review of the minutes from that meeting shows that both Jonesborough and Unicoi agreed to an arrangement regarding the transfer of Nero with Paws in Blue, an organization dedicated to supporting the Jonesborough Department of Public Safety's K-9 program, making payment through a check made out to the town of Unicoi for the dog. The issuance of the check is confirmed by a review of minutes from the town of Jonesborough's BMA from December of the same year. Paws in Blue issued a check to Unicoi in the amount of $4,500. In turn, the town of Unicoi issued a check to Jonesborough for the same amount. Hughes addressed the Unicoi BMA during the Dec. 19 meeting, offering to pay for the dog personally before Paws in Blue stepped in and offered to make the payment. Hughes also said that Jonesborough and Washington County spent "around $16,000" on Nero. The primary reason given during the Unicoi BMA meeting for the transfer of Nero is that it was not good for Nero to be assigned another handler as K-9 officers bond tightly with their handlers and Hughes was already Nero's second handler. The BMA determined it was in Nero's best interest that he join Hughes in Unicoi. A photocopy of the memorandum of understanding provided by Town of Unicoi Recorder Seth Miller indicates that should Hughes leave Unicoi, Nero would leave with him. Hughes told the BMA at that Dec. 19 meeting that residents of Unicoi had informed of the need for a K-9, which helped motivate him to bring the dog with him from Jonesborough. The minutes and statements made are framed in a way to make it seem as though it was the intention of both Hughes and Unicoi for Nero to serve as an official K-9 officer for Unicoi. The documentation, as well as statements from Hughes during the meeting, noted that Nero needed to be placed on the town's liability and insurance so that the dog could become active in service. Despite all of that, Nero never became a K-9 for the town of Unicoi. The memorandum received approval during the Dec. 19 meeting and Unicoi received the money from Paws in Blue while also sending a check to Jonesborough for Nero, acknowledging that it was understood that Nero left with Hughes when he became police chief of Unicoi in June of 2022. Attempts to reach Hughes for comment through his current employer, the Unicoi County Sheriff's Department, have been unsuccessful.