I say, tie him to the back of a truck and see if he can keep up. (Also note his idiotic logic for doing it, in bold text)
Yes, he's a moron (notice the sign above his head).
Text to story.
Dog Owner Accused Of Cruelty
Akita Reportedly Dragged Behind Truck
May 1, 2003
By MATT BURGARD, Courant Staff Writer
A Hartford man is facing animal cruelty charges after he attached his dog to his truck with a chain and dragged the animal several blocks through the city's North End, prompting cries of alarm from children and other witnesses.
Roosevelt Rhodes, 66, told investigators he was angry with his 2-year-old Akita, Socks, because the dog had urinated in the cab of his truck while he was buying a loaf of bread at a local market, police said.
The dog is recovering at a local animal hospital.
When Rhodes walked from the store to his truck about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, he found the puddle of urine in the cab and then chained the dog to a trailer hitch on the back bumper of the truck, police said.
Rhodes then drove more than six blocks from the store on Barbour Street to his home on Winchester Street as the dog struggled to race behind the vehicle with about 8 feet of slack on the chain, police said.
For at least two blocks, police said, the dog was unable to keep up with the truck and was dragged on its side. Police said they received numerous 911 calls from alarmed witnesses.
The dog was recovering at a veterinarian's office in Windsor on Wednesday from extreme wear to the pads on its paws and numerous cuts and scrapes, police said. Police said they hope to find it a new home.
Thomas Fuller, a veteran animal control officer for the city, said the dog's paws were bleeding extensively when he arrived. He said it was lying on the ground, breathing hard, but remained friendly and obedient as it was taken to the vet's office for treatment.
"I've been doing this a long time but I've never seen anything quite like this," Fuller said.
Speaking in front of his home Wednesday, Rhodes said the incident has been exaggerated by witnesses and police. He acknowledged chaining the dog to the truck, but he said he never drove fast enough to pose a serious threat to the animal.
"I love that dog," he said as he stood in front of a sign posted on his window saying, "Never mind the dog, beware of owner."
Rhodes said he didn't think what he did was cruel.
"That dog likes to run, so I was just letting him run along with the truck," he said.
Rhodes said he chained the dog because he was "mad" about the pool of urine in his truck, but he maintained he has always treated the dog well since buying it for $850 last year.
"I feed that dog steak once a week," he said. "These people are crazy, the way they're making this sound. I love that dog."
Andrea Marks, an Auburn Street resident who witnessed the incident, said children were running after the truck, yelling for it to stop as they saw the dog being dragged.
"The guy just kept going. It was crazy," she said. "The poor dog was too tired to keep up."
Rhodes was taken to police headquarters and booked on a charge of animal cruelty. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond for appearance May 13 in Hartford Superior Court.
Yes, he's a moron (notice the sign above his head).
Text to story.
Dog Owner Accused Of Cruelty
Akita Reportedly Dragged Behind Truck
May 1, 2003
By MATT BURGARD, Courant Staff Writer
A Hartford man is facing animal cruelty charges after he attached his dog to his truck with a chain and dragged the animal several blocks through the city's North End, prompting cries of alarm from children and other witnesses.
Roosevelt Rhodes, 66, told investigators he was angry with his 2-year-old Akita, Socks, because the dog had urinated in the cab of his truck while he was buying a loaf of bread at a local market, police said.
The dog is recovering at a local animal hospital.
When Rhodes walked from the store to his truck about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, he found the puddle of urine in the cab and then chained the dog to a trailer hitch on the back bumper of the truck, police said.
Rhodes then drove more than six blocks from the store on Barbour Street to his home on Winchester Street as the dog struggled to race behind the vehicle with about 8 feet of slack on the chain, police said.
For at least two blocks, police said, the dog was unable to keep up with the truck and was dragged on its side. Police said they received numerous 911 calls from alarmed witnesses.
The dog was recovering at a veterinarian's office in Windsor on Wednesday from extreme wear to the pads on its paws and numerous cuts and scrapes, police said. Police said they hope to find it a new home.
Thomas Fuller, a veteran animal control officer for the city, said the dog's paws were bleeding extensively when he arrived. He said it was lying on the ground, breathing hard, but remained friendly and obedient as it was taken to the vet's office for treatment.
"I've been doing this a long time but I've never seen anything quite like this," Fuller said.
Speaking in front of his home Wednesday, Rhodes said the incident has been exaggerated by witnesses and police. He acknowledged chaining the dog to the truck, but he said he never drove fast enough to pose a serious threat to the animal.
"I love that dog," he said as he stood in front of a sign posted on his window saying, "Never mind the dog, beware of owner."
Rhodes said he didn't think what he did was cruel.
"That dog likes to run, so I was just letting him run along with the truck," he said.
Rhodes said he chained the dog because he was "mad" about the pool of urine in his truck, but he maintained he has always treated the dog well since buying it for $850 last year.
"I feed that dog steak once a week," he said. "These people are crazy, the way they're making this sound. I love that dog."
Andrea Marks, an Auburn Street resident who witnessed the incident, said children were running after the truck, yelling for it to stop as they saw the dog being dragged.
"The guy just kept going. It was crazy," she said. "The poor dog was too tired to keep up."
Rhodes was taken to police headquarters and booked on a charge of animal cruelty. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond for appearance May 13 in Hartford Superior Court.
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