Garrett Cox is 12 years old. He has ADHD and autism, and for years, a 400-pound pig named Bootsy was his closest companion. They spent their days together feeding, bathing, and running. Bootsy earned ribbons at livestock competitions through the Future Farmers of America. She was not just a pet. She was a therapy animal, and she helped Garrett navigate the world.

Last week, Bootsy wandered from her pen. When Garrett's parents rushed out to find her, they heard a gunshot. They followed the sound to a neighboring property and found three people in aprons and gloves standing next to Bootsy's body beside a pot of boiling water.

Bootsy had a visible livestock ear tag. She was clearly marked as a farm animal. "Why would you do this? You knew she was our pig," Garrett's mother Kerrie told one of the suspects, according to WSB-TV. She said the response was laughter.

Three people have been charged with aggravated animal cruelty. But in Georgia, those charges treat all animals the same. A registered therapy animal providing medical support to a disabled child carries no additional legal protection. That needs to change.

"I miss her so much," Garrett told WSB-TV, holding the ribbons he and Bootsy had won together.

For children with autism and other disabilities, therapy animals are not accessories. They are essential tools for daily functioning, comfort, and development. Harming one causes real, lasting damage to a vulnerable child. Georgia law should reflect that reality.

We are calling on the Georgia General Assembly and Governor Brian Kemp to establish a distinct legal category and stronger penalties for the killing or harming of a registered therapy animal, and to ensure prosecutors have the tools to pursue full justice when a disabled child's welfare is destroyed.

Sign for Garrett. Sign for Bootsy. Sign so this never happens to another family.