WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS DISTRESSING CONTENT

It’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare.

You leave your dogs with people who are supposed to protect and care for them, and instead, they deliberately and cruelly end their lives. This is what happened to Morgan Glenn when she entrusted her beloved Siberian Huskies, Pneuma Paisley and Melo Jay, to the staff at Inner Knowing Canine Connections in Swannanoa, North Carolina, in April 2026.

Morgan, owner and artist of online boutique Moonshine Ceramics, first heard about Inner Knowing in 2023 in her search for a small, in-home board and train facility. Morgan toured the property and met with owner Tiffany Jourdain prior to the dogs’ first stay. With their overwhelmingly positive reviews and focus on positive reinforcement training methods, this facility seemed like the ideal choice.

“I read every review before each stay and did thorough social media deep-dives,” said Morgan, when asked if she’d researched the boarding facility. Both dogs regularly accompanied her on vacation, with Pneuma having visited 33 states and hiked the entire Appalachian Trail at Morgan’s side, and even Melo had visited 11 states in his three short years. However, there are times when it simply isn’t possible for the two Huskies to tag along, which is when Morgan put her faith in Jourdain.

“It was a very rare occurrence,” she says. “In part because I already didn’t trust many others with Pneuma and Melo, but mostly because I wanted them to see and experience the world beside me.”

She chose Inner Knowing because both dogs were to be staying at Jourdain’s house, allowing them the same sort of freedom and supervision they would have in their own home. Melo and Pneuma had stayed with Jourdain three times over the past three years, so when she was due to visit family abroad, Morgan had felt confident about entrusting them to her care once more and received updates and photos of the dogs from Jourdain throughout their 10-day stay.

On the last night of Morgan’s holiday, her nightmare began when she learned that both her beautiful dogs had passed away.

“A Multi-Layered, Continuous Nightmare”

Accidents happen, unexpected illnesses occur, and sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts and intentions, pets can, and do, die whilst in the care of another. In most cases, it’s nobody’s fault. As Morgan would eventually learn, this was not the case for Melo and Pneuma.

Facts are still coming to light about the circumstances of the Huskies’ last days as the Buncombe County Sheriff investigates, but certain facts have been revealed:

• Despite sending regular updates from her phone, the owner of Inner Knowing Canine Connections, Tiffany Jourdain, along with manager Brianne Hunt, were out of town for the duration of Pneuma and Melo’s stay.
• In their place were Lillian Sparks and Dianna Hall. Sparks stands accused of intentionally starving the two Siberian Huskies to death.
• Sparks is also accused of deliberately depriving other animals, including dogs, sheep, chickens, guineas, ducks, and degus, of food, resulting in severe weight loss.
• Evidence suggests that Melo passed away first, and Sparks and Hall are accused of altering his appearance in an attempt to cover up the truth.
• All four face charges of conspiracy and destroying evidence.¹

For a healthy dog, death from starvation and dehydration can occur in as little as 2-3 days, but may take longer if there is water available.

In a statement on the @moonshineceramics Instagram page, Morgan wrote:

“The past few weeks have been a multi-layered, continuous nightmare since I found out about their tragic deaths on the last night of my family vacation.

Losing both of them at once is a nightmare. Being away from them when it happened is a nightmare. The details I’ve had to hear/read/discover about the cruelty delivered to my sweet loves is a nightmare. The facts that I have discovered about the individuals involved is a nightmare. Trying to grieve without clear answers + far too many lies is a nightmare.

All that I can do for them in this new reality is to speak out on their behalf. Fight to pursue justice for what was done to them. Start conversations near + far. Try to ensure that no other innocent creature or trusting pet owner has to walk these same steps.

They were – they are – my family. My very best friends.

Join the conversation. Ask questions. Demand accountability. Because justice for Pneuma + Melo is justice for all innocent creatures.”

Unsurprisingly, the Inner Knowing Canine Connections website has been shut down, and the facility has been listed as permanently closed. Remarkably, however, videos showcasing Jourdain’s training techniques have been uploaded to their YouTube channel as recently as May 9th. Jourdain is also the registered owner of a board & train facility in Pensacola, Florida, called Positive Splash Dog Training, which is active at the time of writing.

The Legacy of Pneuma and Melo

Morgan knows that nothing can bring back the lives of her beloved family members, and she doesn’t want their legacy to be one of sorrow, anger, or hate. She wants people to share her story “to shed light on animal cruelty and protect others from such harm. To start conversations amongst the animal community and to warn other pet owners of potential dangers.”

She urges people to be vigilant and proactive.

“If you have ever had or ever do have a bad/questionable experience with any type of provider, WRITE A REVIEW. It’s a simple way to ensure we all have the most thorough understanding of what we’re walking into.”

“If you ever see any signs of animal abuse/ neglect, REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY. Don’t assume someone else will. Don’t explain it away. Don’t wait.”

If you have any information about this case or the persons involved, please contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office or the Buncombe County DA’s Office.

Did You Know?