PETITION CLOSED
PETITION TARGET: Cocke County District Attorney
UPDATE (3/14/2025): The man reached a plea agreement for two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, according to The Newport Plain Talk.
For the first count, he was sentenced to two years at 30% served and is required to pay restitution. For count two, he received another two-year sentence at 30% served and is prohibited from having animal companions for 10 years.
Fergus has recovered and was adopted.
While we are glad that the perpetrator has been convicted, we’re sad to see that the penalties don’t fit the severity of the cruelty and abuse inflicted on these innocent dogs.
Lady Freethinker thanks the 41,000+ supporters who signed our petition demanding justice for these dogs. — Lady Freethinker
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Six neglected dogs — some so emaciated their ribs could be counted — were found by Cocke County officers on a property in Tennessee.
One of the dogs was so unwell that euthanasia was tragically necessary, according to local news.
Fergus, one of the five surviving dogs, was so starved he looked to be little more than skin and bones. He was found outdoors in a garbage-littered yard near a bucket of murky, green water when he was rescued, according to photos shared by officers at the scene. Fergus reportedly weighed less than half the average weight for a dog of his breed and age at the time.
A man has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
These defenseless dogs did not deserve to suffer such painful starvation or neglect.
Sign our petition urging the Cocke County District Attorney to prosecute the person(s) responsible for this cruelty to the fullest extent of the law — including a lifelong ban on having animals.
