Three charged with killing 12-year-old's therapy pig as family reveal details

A 12-year-old boy's 400-pound pig was shot and killed by those who lived beside him, leaving the family asking why as they explain what Bootsy meant to them.

Garrett Cox, who has ADHD and autism, per his mother, loved and cared for his big pig for nearly a year, after joining the Future Farmers of America (FFA), where he trained his pig for competitions.

"As Bootsy grew, love grew," Kerrie Cox, Garrett’s mother said, sharing that the pig’s presence at their Hoschton home helped her son’s confidence go ‘through the roof’.

Garrett's father, Matt Cox, revealed the horror unfolded after he went to put the pig away for the night in her barn on the family’s property last week and noticed she was missing.

According to the family, the pig broke out of her pen and managed to wander off.

Bootsy was shot and killed by neighbors, say the Cox family (Fox 5 News)

Matt revealed to WSB-TV that he and his wife heard gunshot nearby after searching for the pig, before discovering its body.

“We heard a gunshot,” he said.

The couple explained they followed the sound to a neighbor’s home, where they found Bootsy had been shot at close range, tied up and seemed to be about to be prepared as meat.

“There was a rope with blood on it beside her body,” Matt said, as they claimed three people were standing near the body wearing gloves and aprons with water boiling close by.

“And I told her, ‘Why would you do this? You knew she was our pig,’” Kerrie said to the outlet. “And she laughed at me.”

Despite it being reported by the outlet that the three people believed the pig was wild, Kerrie said Bootsy wore an ear tag that marked her as a farm animal.

Three people have been charged in connection to the death of the pic (Fox 5 News)

In fact, the pig was an award-winning show pig, which Garrett revealed to the outlet he now keeps the ribbons from their competitions as memories of their time together.

“I miss her so much,” he said.

According to Fox 5, officials confirmed the three people have been arrested, and named as Mai Kia Vang-Moua, 54, Maysy Moua,59, and Kee Moua, 33.

For Garrett, this has been a tough time, with Matt stating: "Of course, he started crying... it's been very up and down since.”

All three arrested in connection with Bootsy’s death have since been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, which is a felony, per Fox 5.