A Crawford County couple filed a lawsuit Thursday for damages sustained when they say officials forced them to decapitate their dog and take the head to the health department.

Joe Goodwin and Tosha Dacon are suing the county, Sheriff Lewis Walker and deputies James Hollis and Wesley Andrew Neesmith for $1 million in connection with the Dec. 1 incident, attorney Reza Sedghi told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Under extreme emotional duress and distress, and under threat of incarceration and physical harm, Plaintiff Goodwin was forced to decapitate the dog with a knife,” the lawsuit states.  

Neesmith responded to a complaint about a pit bull-type dog that allegedly bit a neighbor on Wellington Drive. While Goodwin was at work, his 2-year-old dog, Big Boy, allegedly lunged at Neesmith, who shot and killed the dog, The AJC previously reported.

Shortly thereafter, Hollis arrived and told Goodwin he’d have to cut the dead dog’s head off for rabies testing or face arrest, according to the lawsuit. Goodwin felt compelled to proceed and decapitated his pet in front of his children.

Afterward, Goodwin was “too emotionally and mentally distraught to comply and, therefore, Plaintiff Dacon was required to do so,” the lawsuit states.