A man from Florida was charged with animal cruelty after he drove his pickup truck while dragging his bulldog by its collar in West Palm Beach.
The man, identified as Lisandro Arellano, 45, was spotted in Palm Beach County by other motorists, driving his Toyota Tacoma truck as it violently dragged the helpless dog behind it for almost a mile.
According to one witness, the poor bulldog was dragged by its side as its skin scraped the highway. The driver of the vehicle behind Arellano’s Tacoma thought he was unaware that his dog was being dragged. He and another driver frantically tried to get his attention by flashing their lights and honking repeatedly.
Eventually, the drivers caught up with Arellano at a red light, and they quickly got out of their vehicles to alert him about what was happening to his dog. To their surprise, Arellano got out of his car, took the injured bulldog, and tossed her on his Tacoma truck bed.
According to a probable cause statement, Arellano, who seemed calm about the situation, told the drivers that the dog would be okay. He then got into his truck with his truck bed still open. He speedily drove off.
An animal control officer and a sheriff’s deputy went to check on the animal five days after the incident, and they noticed that the accused had not cleaned up his truck bed, which was covered with what looked like blood.
The officers found the poor dog, Blanco, lying on a sheet full of blood. She was kept in a filthy room filled with her feces and urine. The law enforcement and animal control officer said Blanco’s body had deep cuts, especially around her knees, which had the most impact as the truck dragged the dog across the highway. Blanco appeared to be in a lot of pain as she was also whimpering.
When they took her to the clinic, a vet said that Blanco’s injuries had resulted from being dragged on a hard surface.
Dr. Sara Chapman, the veterinary doctor who treated Blanco, said she was trembling when the officers brought her in and could only stand for a short period. Dr. Chapman said both her heart rate and respiratory rates were elevated.
Blanco was missing her top layer of skin in several areas, and the worst injuries were in her right limbs. The dog had not received medical care for her injuries after the incident.
When questioned by the police, Arellano said he couldn’t afford Blanco’s medical care bills. He told authorities that Blanco’s injuries were just simple scratches, and he thought she was doing fine because she could stand up.
According to Dr. Chapman, if the police had not brought the dog in for treatment, she would have become worse because of the risk of her wounds getting infected and spreading throughout her body.
The Director of Animal Care and Control in Palm Beach County, David Walesky, said the dog recovered well from the incident. He added that when she recovers fully, Blanco will be put up for adoption.
Arellano was charged with cruelty to animals and aggravated animal cruelty. He was released on Monday on a $3,000 bond.