Man filmed dangerously dragging dog alongside his car
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has launched an investigation after disturbing video footage has surfaced of an unidentified man dragging a dog from a leash as he drives his car, KTLA 5 reports. A second dog, which also appears to be a German shepherd, kept up with the car but was not on a leash.
The footage was shot by Desiree Durst, who witnessed the incident on March 31 in Lancaster, Calif. Durst told KTLA that she and her family followed the man’s car, worried that the dogs were in danger.
“I saw him escalating in speed and the male dog was pretty close to being able to keep up, but the female dog just wasn’t able to,” she told the news station. “She started tripping over her feet and then she just started rolling on the ground, and several times she almost went underneath the tire. I was kind of panicking because I was like, ‘He’s going to kill his dog.'”
Durst also confronted the man, who responded with anger.
“I was honking my horn the entire time trying to get his attention,” she said. “I had to drive and actually pull up beside him and tell him, ‘Sir, you’re dragging your dog; your dog’s not able to keep up.’ At that point, he began to be really aggressive.”
“He was belligerent,” her mother, Carrie Mulalley, confirmed. “‘I know what I’m doing; mind your own business.’”
The man eventually put both dogs in the car and drove away.
Though officials have yet to release any additional information on the case, similar incidents of abusive treatment of dogs have brought stiff penalties. Last September, an Oklahoma couple was charged with animal cruelty after dragging their dog down a Tulsa highway. A month later, an Arkansas man was arrested and booked on charges of aggressive cruelty to animals after he allegedly dragged his dogs behind his motorized scooter. The dogs were later placed with a rescue shelter.
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