A dog was killed Friday night after its owner dragged it on a chain behind his truck in Spartanburg.
Deputies responded at 10:30 p.m. to a Quick Trip convenience store at 21 Fairview Church Road after they were flagged down by a concerned resident. The deputy approached the driver, who was pumping gas at the store, and asked him about the dog behind the truck, according to a statement from Lt. Kevin Bobo with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
According to the statement, the driver told the deputy he didn't realize the dog has been chained to his vehicle and that a friend must have chained the dog while they were at a work site. The driver then became emotional about what had happened.
A large crowd started to gather at the store to see what had happened. The deputy then asked the driver to place the deceased dog in his truck to keep others at the scene from getting too upset. According to the statement, the deputy notified an animal control officer with Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement about the incident. The animal control officer went to the driver's residence and found three other dogs who were properly treated.
After further investigation, the driver was charged with ill treatment of animals, which is a violation a Spartanburg County ordinance. Bobo refused to release dog owner's name.
Bobo stated pictures from the scene were shared on social media.
Environmental Enforcement plans to meet with the Solicitor's Office on Monday to determine if a felony charged will be filed against the dog owner, Bobo said.