Dog dragged to death behind truck
Alamosa, CO (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jan 6, 2012
County: Alamosa

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Eril Rael

An Alamosa man was charged with animal cruelty after he dragged his dog to death on the back of his pickup truck on January 6.

Eril Rael, the dog's owner, pleaded not guilty in court and says he did not know that the dog was still tied up to the bumper of of his truck when he was running late for "alcohol class." He will have a pre-trial conference on March 7.

"I contacted the driver, Eril Rael, and asked him about the dog. He said he was late to an alcohol class and forgot he had the dog tied up behind the truck. After his statement, he did not want to speak anymore," Deputy Rod Payne told KDVR.

On Jan. 6, the day of the dragging, Alamosa Police said they received several calls complaining about the dog being roped by the neck to the back of the moving truck on Highway 160. The truck was equipped with an interlock device, according to 7News, which requires a breath sample before the driver can operate the vehicle to ensure sobriety.

By the time Rael had pulled over, the dog was almost skinned to the bone.

Rael was issued a ticket for Cruelty or Neglect of Animals but was not arrested at the time.

Rael Had DUIs In The Past

According to a criminal background check, Rael had several DUI arrests. The first one came in 2004 in Alamosa County. He had subsequent DUI arrests and convictions in Costilla County in 2005 and 2007.

Rael also was found guilty in Costilla County in December for being a habitual traffic offender.

References

• « CO State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Alamosa County, CO

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