Sad Story Out of Texas — Dog Dragged Behind Truck
Thank you Amber for barking in to tell us all about Nellie!
Please be warned before reading further that the description of the damage to Nellie is fairly graphic and could be upsetting.
Amber wrote:
I’ve always been a proud Texan, but I’m sad to report this happened in Texas.This made me shed a tear & I was shocked to see an e-mail I received was actually true. Thankfully there are contact information provided to anyone who wants to have a voice for Nellie!
And this is from Jesse Klein of Keepsake Pomeranians:
A female chocolate lab – Nellie – was tied to the back of a pickup truck and drug down an asphalt road. A couple working in their yard saved her life when they saw the truck driving by and yelled at the driver to stop. The two occupants untied her and drug her body to the ditch where they left her to suffer and die.
Nellie was taken to a local veterinarian where she is being treated for her horrendous injuries. This precious girl has severe burns from the asphalt causing large open wounds in her body, her toenails were ripped out, the pads of her paws worn to the bone, and her knees was so badly injured she will need surgery.
The local TV station issued several warnings before showing the graphic photo’s of her severely mangled body. A video of the story can be viewed at this site.
The vet who is treating Nellie is in Mineola, Texas.
His name and office address is: Clifton Bradshaw, DVM, 1124 W FM 564,
Mineola,TX 75773; ph: 903-569-5418Unfortunately, the two people responsible for this have still not been identified. However the sheriff of Van Zandt County, Sheriff Pat Burnett, has stated that his department is aggressively following leads and they believe that two juveniles are responsible. This might be a good cause to send letters from all over the nation. Please let them know that we are all watching how this case proceeds. You might include in your contact info,name, city, and state.
Send letters to:
Sheriff Pat Burnett, 1220 W. Dallas Street, Canton, TX 75103. Phone:
903-567-4133
Email: sheriff@vzsheriff. comCheck your state laws to see if they are strict enough to punish people for crimes like this. Make certain it’s a real crime in your state and if it’s not criminal enough to warrant serious consequences for acts such as committed against Nellie, then I urge you to start a campaign or join one. For the protection of the animals we are in charge of, let’s act like it matters and do something about it.
According to the woman who answered the phone at the vet clinic that is treating Nellie, they have enough funds to care for her now.
What a sad world we live in.
I just called the vets office and was told that Nellie will be in their clinic for several months for treatment. She is being treated presently with burn wrap used on humans for her burns. She will also need a number of surgeries as written in the above article. The lady I spoke to said that they are taking donations presently because of all the future medical expenses. I am sending a personal check to the above address and will do so for as long as I need to. Please do the same for the love of Nellie if you can afford it. And the lady at the vets office that we can call whenever we want to to check on her.
Please give from your heart.
Sincerely,
Kelly Butler
Update on the Case of Nellie
October 22, 2006
On October 8, 2006 at 4:38 P.M. the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into reports of cruelty to an animal. During the investigation, Deputies contacted witnesses about a Labrador Retriever that was reported to have been dragged behind a vehicle. The investigation has revealed that the dog was indeed dragged behind a vehicle which was occupied by two 17 year old males. The investigation has shown, however, that the dog was tied to the inside of the truck bed not to the bumper as demonstrated by news re-enactments. Both 17 year old subjects have been interviewed as well as all witnesses to the offense, and the investigation has revealed that this may very well be an unintentional act.
This case will be prepared as a State Jail felony and sent to the Criminal District Attorney’s office for Grand Jury referral within the next few days. The Labrador retriever (Nellie) is at the Bradshaw Clinic in Mineola, Texas and is improving. If you wish to contact the Bradshaw Clinic, please call (903) 569-5418.
This case, as all criminal cases, has been investigated to its fullest extent, and appropriate charges will be filed. As long as I am Sheriff for Van Zandt County, cases of animal neglect and abuse will always be investigated. Since I have been in office the past six years, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office has been involved in four “puppy mill” investigations which rescued several hundred animals. Additionally, while I have been Sheriff of Van Zandt County, I have personally rescued four buffalo and an eight year old Great Dane all of which live at my home. I take reports of cruelty to animals very seriously and will continue to do so.
I appreciate everyone’s concern for Nellie and I can assure you that this case has been handled in an appropriate manner.
Your Sheriff,
R.P. “Pat” Burnett, Jr.
I surely hope this is a case of these kids not knowing she had fallen out and out of fear they left her behind! Time will tell!
We have recently had a case of dire animal neglect and cruelty in Del Norte Co.— located in Northern Ca. The man was tried and barely got a slap on the wrist. good for Sheriff Pat in Texas ” where the bad guy is still wrong”
Re:Nellie, even if the dragging was unintentional the boys should have to pay for deserting her—leaving her to suffer and die.
Maybe a short trip around the block with them dragged behind pick up truck would influence their warpped minds.
Maybe a short trip around the block with them dragged behind pick up truck would influence their warped minds.
PS: I don’t buy the story of not knowing the dog was being dragged, surely the poor dog must have been crying unmercifully. Why did they cut it loose and run if innocent or had any feelings for the poor animal?
Those boys should be made to suffer as that poor puppy did. I am 100% sure that the dragging was intentional, because they still left her on the road side to die. As an avid dog lover, a citizen and a veteran, I beleive that Nellie should have the same rights as you and I, and that the criminals that assaulted her and tried to kill her should be treated as if they did it to you or I.
PLEASE everyone who reads this e-mail the sheriff dept. this needs to be taken care of & the unhuman people punished to the fullest degree! I puked when seeing the video. How disgusting that 2 people could do something so unthinkable & horrendous. God Bless Nellie-you go girl-We hope u fully recover & find a great home-U DESERVE IT.
UUuuhhh, how can unhuman people do this???????
This makes my stomach turn. If we as a nation do not get enough of this type of stuff happening to our children, older people and animals and say enough is enough. We have a case in Brazos County where two young college men tortured a 14 month old show horse to death with a small pocket knife, a golf club and a mallet. We have got to get our law makers to come up with stronger jail time for these warped disgusting people. Fell out of pick up me eye! And left for hours, I think not.
We have started a prayer chain for Nellie in Forums. Check my page. In reply to the Sheriff, intentional or unintentional, they left the dog to die in its own pool of blood. If this was their dog and it was unintentional, they had the responsiblity of taking the dog to the vet.
Thank you Donna
Here is the link to the prayer chain:
http://www.dogster.com/forums/thread.php?t=356631
Thank you for the update on Nellie. I had been trying to get this information without success.
I currently have custody of the dog that was drug behind a pickup in Red Oak Texas on 10/12/06. Lucy is also still under doctor care for her injuries but she will not require surgery.
Ours is also an open case at this time and our (wonderful) local sheriff has been tracking down leads since this happened.
Hopefully, we will be able to get justice for both Lucy and Nellie.
Sheriff R.P. “Patâ€? Burnett, Jr YOU ARE AN OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL …..
Two Paws up to you!!!!!
This young man has now been arrested in Van Zandt County for several drive by shootings. No we here in Van Zandt do not think it was unintentional. These young men knew what they were doing. We have animal cruelty going on all the time in Van Zandt county and no one does anything about it. This is a growing problem we do not have stiff enough penalties for offenders.