UPDATE: On April 20th, 2023, Ashley Elizabeth Harris, 34, of Chattanooga, TN, turned herself into the Walker County Jail on warrants for felony aggravated cruelty to animals x3 and cruelty to animals x2 in connection with an incident that occurred in Rossville back in January. Several pigs were left for dead after she and her husband, Curtis Lamar Harris, moved away and abandoned the animals.
According to a Rossville Police Department incident report, On Saturday, January 7th, 2023, at 5:30 PM, Officer Galyon, along with Walker County Animal Control Officer Bishop, responded to an address in reference to an animal complaint. The concerned citizen explained there were several deceased pigs, along with several pigs that were still alive and in very poor health, at 8 West Wotring Street. Allegedly, the home’s occupants had moved away and abandoned the animals. Officer Galyon reported, “[I] went to the residence on Wotring Street and discovered that the home was abandoned as described. [I] observed three deceased pigs lying in the yard. [I] did not observe any signs of trauma. It appeared the animals either starved or froze to death from the recent extreme freeze we had. There was an adult pig and a juvenile pig that was still alive, clinging to life. They had no food or water, and they were extremely emaciated. The only shelter available to the animals was a hole in the rear of the home they used to access the crawlspace. The entire yard was covered in several inches of thick mud and feces.” With the assistance of Walker County Animal Control Officer Bishop, officers fed the pigs some dog food. They desperately ate the food and appeared to be starving. ACO Bishop captured the adult pig for safekeeping at the animal shelter. The juvenile pig evaded capture and retreated under the house. Officers were very familiar with the pig’s owners, Curtiss Harris and Ashley Harris, from previous calls regarding the pigs. They had reportedly moved to Tennessee, and warrants for felony aggravated cruelty to animals x3 and cruelty to animals x2 were taken out on them. Animal Control and Rossville PD secured the three deceased pigs so a necroscopy could be performed. ACO Bishop responded back out to the address each day for the entire week before eventually capturing the small pig from under the house. On April 10th, 2023, Curtis Lamar Harris, 46, of Chattanooga, TN, was arrested on the warrants and booked into the Walker County Jail. Curtis was charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals, felony aggravated cruelty to animals, felony aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, and cruelty to animals. Curtis was released from jail after posting a bond on April 11th, 2023.
