‘Clearly an accident’: No criminal charges after driver drags dog in York County
No criminal charges will be filed by York County deputies after a man dragged his dog behind a truck. The incident was determined to be an accident, officials said.
Still, York County Sheriff’s Office deputies received calls from concerned witnesses around noon Wednesday after drivers on U.S. 21 near Regent Parkway saw the dog being dragged, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.
The area is a main road near Carowinds Boulvard and Interstate 77.
Deputies located the vehicle nearby at a job site and spoke with the owner, who was identified as a man from Texas, Faris said. The owner told officers he had forgotten he tied the dog to the truck, Faris said.
The owner was providing care to the dog when deputies arrived, according to a sheriff’s office incident report.
Deputies conducted an investigation and determined the incident was accidental.
“The owner had the dog with him at work and had him tied up to the truck so the dog could have shade,” Faris said. ‘”He drove off. The investigation showed that what happened was clearly an accident and no charges were filed because there was no criminal intent. The owner did not intend to harm the dog.”
Deputies and York County Animal Control officers went with the owner to an animal hospital in Rock Hill where the dog was treated, according to Faris and sheriff’s office documents. The dog, a Weimaraner breed, had to be euthanized, deputies said.
York County Animal Control officers issued a citation to the owner for a violation of the county’s leash ordinance, according to sheriff’s office reports.
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 1:34 PM.
