Florida woman arrested after dragging injured dog tied to car

Wendy Pena, 27, was arrested on Nov. 6 in Putnam County, Fla., after deputies said she drove away with a dog still tied to her car. The animal was dragged along the roadway and sustained severe injuries.

A witness who saw the dog attached to Pena's vehicle flagged her down. Pena stopped and exited the car. The witness told Putnam County Sheriff's Office deputies that Pena appeared remorseful. She explained she could not take the dog to a veterinarian immediately because she needed to pick up her children.

The witness took the dog to a veterinary office. Staff found multiple deep, open wounds on the animal. The dog also suffered severe trauma to its paws and shoulder. The veterinarian recommended euthanasia due to the extent of the injuries.

Sheriff H.D. 'Gator' DeLoach addressed the arrest. "Dog ownership comes with a series of responsibilities for the care of an animal," DeLoach said. "I cannot imagine the horror this poor animal felt as its body scraped the roadway and it had no way to escape the torture being inflicted."

DeLoach said the owner chose to tie the dog to a movable vehicle instead of securing it in a safer location. "Forgetting you have a living, breathing soul attached to a vehicle when you leave because you are distracted is not an excuse," he said. "Then to leave that animal to suffer and have another person take care of your mistake is reprehensible."

Pena was charged with animal cruelty and taken to the Putnam County Jail. She was released later on a $10,000 bond.