S. Jersey teen charged in dog dragging incident

A 17-year-old South Jersey boy has been charged with dragging his dog more than a mile with his pickup truck, officials said today.

The dog, an adult English pointer, survived, but faces a long recovery following the incident Wednesday evening in the New Egypt section of Plumstead Township, said Lt. Thomas Yanisko of the New Jersey SPCA.

Yanisko said it is not clear if the dragging was intentional and added that he hoped "in my heart" that it was accidental.

"If it wasn't intentional, it was horribly irresponsible," he said.

The teen, not identified because he is a juvenile, was charged with needlessly abusing an animal.

Yanisko said the dog was attached to a leash hooked to the pickup's passenger door and a number of people tried to flag down the driver as it passed by them.

The dog broke free of its collar and witnesses wrapped it in blankets and called police.

The teen was en route to work at the time, Yanisko said.

The dog's paws were ground down and it suffered a number of deep abrasions, Yanisko said.

He said the fact the road still had packed snow on it may have saved the dogs life.