A Florida woman was arrested on an animal cruelty charge after she allegedly drove away for miles with a dog tied to her vehicle, dragging the animal along the roadway.
Wendy Pena, a 27-year-old from Pomona Park, was arrested last week. She was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, according to jail records obtained by People magazine.
‘I cannot imagine the horror this poor animal felt as its body scraped the roadway, and it had no way to escape the torture being inflicted.’
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Pena inflicted serious harm on a dog that she “had tied to a vehicle, forgotten, and later drove away with the dog still attached.”
“A Good Samaritan flagged down Wendy Pena and told her she had the dog tied to the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Pena stopped and exited the vehicle.
The sheriff’s office noted, “The Good Samaritan said Pena seemed remorseful, but said she could not take the dog to the veterinarian because she needed to pick up her children.”
Image source: Putnam County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office
The Good Samaritan took the dog and drove the wounded animal to a vet.
The sheriff’s office said the dog suffered multiple injuries, including deep open wounds and severe trauma to its paws and shoulder.
“Due to the level and extent of the injuries, the veterinarian recommended euthanasia as the most humane course of action,” the sheriff’s office stated.
WJXT-TV reported that it was unclear if the dog was euthanized.
Putnam Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said in a statement:
Dog ownership comes with a series of responsibilities for the care of an animal. I cannot imagine the horror this poor animal felt as its body scraped the roadway, and it had no way to escape the torture being inflicted. The owner made a choice to tie the dog to a vehicle that could be moved instead of properly securing the dog somewhere safer. Forgetting you have a living, breathing soul attached to a vehicle when you leave because you are distracted is not an excuse. Then to leave that animal to suffer and have another person take care of your mistake is reprehensible.
Pena was arrested and transported to the Putnam County Jail. She was later released on a $10,000 bond.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.
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Animal cruelty, Animals, Dogs, Good samaritans, Crime, Florida, Arrest
