On April 15, 2025, in Bledsoe County, Tennessee,

a dog was dragged behind a truck for miles.

There were witnesses.

People screamed and honked.

They followed the driver.

The news covered it.

You can still find the video.

They blurred the dog — but they didn’t blur the blood.

You can see it, streaked down the highway, mile after mile, proof of what was done.

And still…

No arrest. No charges. Not even a fine.

Officials called it “a horrible tragedy.”

No. It was a crime.

And just like every time before —

nothing was done.

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💔 The System Protects Abusers More Than It Protects Animals

What people don’t know — and what no one tells you — is that:

 • In Tennessee, your first act of cruelty is usually only a misdemeanor, no matter how violent if they even bother to charge you 

 • You’re only eligible for a felony charge after a prior conviction

 • The so-called Animal Abuser Registry is nearly invisible — and only lists people after a felony for 2 years

 • Most abusers never get listed

 • Most cruelty reports go ignored

 

I’m not a lawyer.

I’m not a politician.

I’m a mom, a Tennessean, and someone who’s seen enough.

I’ve seen dogs chained on short leashes for over a decade —

in my town, in my neighborhood, off Dalton Pike and Spring Place- many other locations.

No shelter. No freedom. No love. No one coming to help.

The police get called. Animal control gets called.

And still — nothing happens. And when that poor animal passes, they do the same thing if not worse to the next- endless cycle of suffering.

How is this okay?

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🙏 This Is ABSOLUTELY NOT Anti-Police — This Is a Cry for Help

I want to say this clearly:

I respect law enforcement.

I know officers put their lives on the line.
I know some care deeply.

This petition is not an attack.

But something is broken.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about compassion.

When animal abuse goes uninvestigated, uncharged, unspoken —

when someone can drag a dog behind a truck and never face a consequence —

then something has to change.

And if the people in charge won’t fix it?

We will.

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🧨 We’re Asking for the Bare Minimum:

✅ Make first-time intentional animal abuse a felony, not a slap on the wrist

✅ Create a readily available public lifetime registry for all convicted animal abusers

✅ Ban those people from ever owning or selling animals again

✅ Require police to follow up on every cruelty report — and document it

✅ Build statewide protection laws that don’t disappear at city limits

⸻

🐶 Because That Dog Didn’t Just Die in Pain.

He Died Ignored.

And the truth is, he’s not the only one.

He’s just the one who got filmed.

Who else is out there, suffering silently, with no one coming? Many more. 

You don’t have to be some “important” person to make a difference. We are the regular people who actually make an impact. 

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✊ Sign This Because Simply- in a world where no one cares, care. 

Not because I’m asking.

But because Enough is enough.

—

Valentina Zhogan

Founder, Fight My Fight

Cleveland, Tennessee

❗️No donations. Just your signature. Just your voice. Just your courage.

 

 

 

 

In Tennessee, even the worst cruelty goes unpunished. We will change that.