Deputies in Florida’s Hernando County are searching for a man charged with animal cruelty. Witnesses rushed to the rescue of a dog after watching him dragged behind a truck in Central Florida.
Although it was an absolutely awful scenario, there was one small silver lining. Jan Harwood, the owner of Nature Coast Animal Wellness and Surgical Center, was one of the bystanders that witnessed the Pit Bull being dragged by a rope around his neck. Harwood knew just where to take the pup.
Harwood told Fox 13, “I can’t un-see what I saw and I imagine I’m going to be seeing that for a long time. It was absolutely the most horrific thing that I have ever witnessed.”
The witnesses ran to the dog’s rescue after he came loose and flew into the median.
Emergency conditions
Once he arrived at the Wellness Center, the staff named the Pit Bull Ollie. The veterinarian who examined Ollie said he doesn’t have a microchip. The pup is approximately two years old. By some miracle, Ollie did not suffer any broken bones or internal injuries during his horrific trip. However, Ollie has severe road rash and bloody paws from close contact with the pavement.
The clinic posted this message on Facebook, “We are monitoring for internal bleeding and [the dog] will be in our care until he is healed and adopted.”
His doctors said his injuries will take two to three weeks to fully heal, but the resilient Ollie is already up and about.
A suspect found
Policed identified a 58-year-old man who they believe dragged Ollie behind his car.
Michael Terry, a spokesman for the Hernando Sheriff’s Office, told Fox 13 a few people called 911 after seeing Ollie’s plight. Investigators said it didn’t appear to be intentional because Ollie was standing in the bed of the truck before jumping off. Terry said, “[Witnesses] saw the dog jump out of the truck as he was traveling down the road, and they actually tried to stop him. [The suspect] didn’t hear him.”
Nevertheless, this is still a case of neglect. Ollie was not secured to the car. He was tied to the bumper of the truck, which led to him being dragged by the vehicle. There is a warrant out for the arrest of the suspect.
Despite what he endured, Ollie is on the road to recovery. Watch his journey in the video below.
H/T FOX 13
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