WV Man Guilty of Dragging Dog to Death

After deliberating approximately 15 minutes, a Mercer County (WV) jury found a local man guilty of felony animal cruelty in the dragging death of his dog.

Daniel W. Dobos, 49, was arrested at his Camp Creek (WV) home in late Feb. 2008 after county animal control officers and the Mercer County Sheriff's Department received a call about a possible case of animal cruelty. Animal Control Officer S.E. Shampo, who testified Tuesday, said the dog was found in a field near Dobos' trailer.

Dr. Michelle Postle, a veterinarian with Green Valley Animal Hospital, testified that she examined the body of the dog — a mixed breed canine weighing about 35 pounds — on Feb. 26, 2008. She said the dog had extensive injuries ranging from multiple leg fractures, a crushed chest, broken teeth and toe pads ripped from its feet. Fur had been rubbed from the dog's body, and it also showed signs of being dehydrated and malnourished. The dog also had injuries indicating strangulation, she said.

When asked how the dog was killed, Dobos said he ran over it by accident with his pick-up truck. He denied ever tying the dog to the truck bumper with a chain and dragging it. A neighbor said in his testimony that he saw Dobos drag the dog during one other occasion, though he did not see the incident in which the dog died.

After jury rendered its verdict, Judge William Sadler remanded Dobos to the Southern Regional Jail near Beckley. A felony charge of animal cruelty in West Virginia carries a penalty of 1 to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Credit: Bluefield (WV) Daily Telegraph, pet-abuse.com