Newport, NC: Deputies and animal control officers were called out to the home of Gina Marie Alfano and Kevin John Diers after an anonymous complaint. There they discovered a gruesome case of animal abuse: an eight week-old puppy had been skinned and gutted, then fed to their other dogs. One dog was found eating the leg of the puppy. The other dogs were fed the puppy's internal organs and meat. Yet another dog was found dead in a cage.

It is unknown if the puppy was intentionally killed for this purpose or died from other causes. The puppy's remains have been collected for analysis.

WARNING – GRAPHIC PHOTO: http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com/?p=4159

Alfano and Diers were charged with cruelty to animals and failing to dispose of a deceased domesticated animal. Under North Carolina law, animal cruelty (§ 14-360) is a Class H felony.

The next court date for Alfano and Diers will be on January 6, 2012. Please sign to show your support that animal abusers cannot get away with such horrendous acts.

This petition respectfully requests that Gina Marie Alfano and Kevin John Diers be given the maximum sentence allowable under law and that they never be allowed to own animals again.

For more information on this story: http://www.jdnews.com/articles/puppy-98233-animal-couple.html

Image courtesy of www.carolinacoastonline.com

Carteret County Sheriff's Office image courtesy of: JDNews.com

This petition will be updated as more information becomes available; however, the intent will remain the same.