OLD HICKORY, Tenn. (WTVF) — A dog killer remains on the run, and the owner's family is begging for justice.
It's been one week since Coco was found dead, and now a Metro Animal Care and Control officer has requested that Metro Police take lead on the investigation.
Bridget Simmons said she helped her brother take care of Coco, and her family is devastated.
Simmons said, "It was a heinous crime is what it was, it was terrible."
According to an Animal Control officer, the dog was cut open and left in the 1400 block of Elliston Street in Old Hickory.
Simmons said, "I was trying to figure out why she ended up 3 miles away from where she was living at."
Simmons said her brother's situation is complicated, so she's not sure how Coco ended up in the neighborhood in the first place.
Simmons said, "I'm very angry right now about the whole situation."
She said their entire family is heartbroken.
Simmons said, "She was part of our family, she was a family member to us."
NewsChannel5 went back to the neighborhood where Coco was found on Sunday, and a group of neighbors came out upset. They didn't offer up their names.
"No we didn't kill the dog!"
One man claimed Coco had been roaming the neighborhood, and was aggressive.
"I grabbed that chair and I was beating the damn dog with a chair."
Even though Coco was found close to their home, they said they didn't do it.
Simmons said Coco was docile and not aggressive. Another neighbor sent her a surveillance video clip of Coco roaming around her home before she was killed.
Simmons said, "There was nothing violent about her, she was not an aggressive dog at all, she was extremely lovable."
Simmons put up posters in Old Hickory as she hopes Coco's killer will be arrested. Coco's family is offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest.
Simmons said, "We're going to get justice, we're not going to stop until we do get justice for Coco."
An animal control officer said there's not a suspect description at this time.
If you have any information on what happened to Coco, Call Metro Police.
