These days Mary Anne Tonini still has plenty of special family members filling her backyard. But she still can't shake the memory of what happened to her beloved pet pig, Melwood, less than a month ago.
"He looked down the hill and there was blood all over the snow," she said.
Tonini said her partner found their pig in their backyard.
"He yelled for him and when he yelled his name, Melwood heard him, and when he cried out, he tried to stand up, but he was so injured he couldn't stand up," she said.
Melwood, who has been with Tonini since he was two weeks old, didn't survive the attack. "They managed to tear him up and they injured him so bad," Tonini said.
New Albany Floyd County Animal Control says two pit bulls, living about half-a-mile away, got out of their yard and then jumped Tonini's fence.
The accused dog owner, Anthony Deaver, said his dogs have left the yard before, but he doesn't believe they were involved in Melwood's attack.
"She's not an aggressive dog, I've had her since she was a pup, my kids jump on her, pull her ears, my 18-month old tries to ride her," Deaver said.
Deaver said he won't build a higher fence because he doesn't own the home. "But I got chains now, I chain them up out back," he added.
There are a number of potential consequences in this case. One of the dogs involved was already euthanized because no one claimed it and it was considered dangerous. The other, belonging to Deaver, will remain with animal control, at least until the case is resolved.
Meanwhile, Tonini said she just wants dog owners to be responsible for their animals.
"You know when a pet gets old, you expect it, but to be viciously attacked and torn apart and nobody here to help him, that's what's hard," she said.
(WKLY - Dec 21, 2014)
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