Cruelty charges laid after car drags dog

WELLAND — A man and woman are facing animal cruelty charges after a dog was allegedly dragged from a car for nearly a kilometre in Welland last week.

Niagara police were called to Southworth Street shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday after witnesses reported seeing the dog being dragged, before the car crashed into another vehicle, police said in a release issued Sunday night.

Police found the small dachshund/beagle mix with traumatic injuries.

A witness rushed the dog to an animal hospital.

“Remarkably, given the ordeal the dog endured, it is expected to recover,” Niagara police said.

Witnesses told police the dog had been attached by a leash to the passenger side door of a car at the Beer Store on Lincoln Street.

When the car left the dog tried to run along side the car.

Several witnesses tried to signal to the driver to stop, police said. The leash broke seconds before the car struck another vehicle 800 metres from the Beer Store.

Cassandra McKay, 42, and Gary Dewilde, 47, both of Fort Erie, are each charged criminally with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and wilful neglect of a dog.

They are scheduled to appear in court in Welland March 29.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Niagara police 3 District Criminal Investigation Branch at 905-688-4111 ext. 3355, or email Thomas.Manney@niagarapolice.ca.