RAY CITY, Ga. (WALB) — The Lanier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a family called for charges against a neighbor who allegedly shot and slit the throat of their pet pig in their backyard on Aug. 11, with children present.

Angela Burnett said she was resting before a night shift when her children alerted her that something was happening outside. By the time she reached the back door, Burnett said a neighbor — who lives four trailers down — had already shot the pig twice with a long .22 rifle.

“He shot her twice and she went to screaming,” Burnett said. “And then he come over the top of her and slit her neck in front of the kids.”

‘Charlotte’ had lived with the family for months

The pig, named Charlotte, came to the family after her daughter’s boyfriend brought the animal home. Charlotte escaped a pen but stayed near the property after the family began feeding her. Burnett said Charlotte bonded with the family dog and learned to climb stairs.

“She stayed right here with us,” Burnett said.

According to Burnett, the neighbor had no prior disputes with the pig and had even tried to help the family catch Charlotte at one point. Burnett said the family had been planning to relocate Charlotte to the neighbor’s farm before an upcoming move. The neighbor’s stated reason for the shooting, according to Burnett, was that the pig had damaged pipes under his home.

“There’s never been no animal control called on this pig,” Burnett said. “No cops have ever been called out here.”

Children watched as pig was shot and throat was slit

According to Burnett, all of her children — including a nonverbal autistic son — witnessed the shooting and its aftermath. After Charlotte was shot twice by the neighbor, Burnett said the man slit the pig’s throat in front of the children. Burnett said responding officers then fired additional shots to kill the animal before Animal Control arrived.

“The cops shot her in the head before Animal Control got here,” Burnett said. “In front of a whole bunch of kids.”

Burnett’s daughter, Kara Griffin, said she ran outside when her brother told her someone was trying to hurt the pig.

“He just pulled it out and shot her,” Griffin said.

Sheriff’s office says investigation is active

According to Burnett, officers initially told her that because the shooting was directed toward the railroad tracks and not at the children, no law was broken. Burnett said video she recorded of the encounter shows a police officer acknowledging that the neighbor shot the pig. Burnett disputes the officers’ characterization of the incident, saying the shooting occurred in her yard, not the neighbor’s.

“This is not his yard. This is my yard,” Burnett said.

Burnett said a sergeant from the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office contacted her the following day to take her statement. Burnett said she has not heard from the department since.

In a statement, the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office said: “The Lanier County Sheriff’s Office is aware of this incident involving the alleged death of a domestic pig in the Ray City area. At this time, the case is being actively investigated by the Sheriff’s Office. Further commentary will be available for release upon the conclusion of the investigation.”

The neighbor has not been publicly identified or charged.

Georgia law on animal cruelty and justification

Under Georgia law — O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4, effective July 1, 2026 — a person may be justified in injuring or killing an animal if they reasonably believe it is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of injury or damage to a person, another animal, or property. However, that justification does not apply when the animal being threatened is not lawfully on the property where the threat occurs, or when the method used is not designed to be as humane as possible under the circumstances.

Aggravated cruelty to animals — defined under the same statute as maliciously causing the death of an animal — is a felony in Georgia, punishable by one to five years in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.

Georgia also classifies feral or free-roaming swine as an invasive species. State law prohibits the release of swine and restricts their possession in certain contexts, though the pig in this case was kept as a domestic pet on private property.

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