Dwight D Runge, 50, a Florida man accused of throwing his dog out the truck window and abandoning along a roadside, pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge. He is fighting to keep custody of his dog, Hoot.
Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offered to drop some of the charges against Runge if he would forfeit his dog.
Runge said he will not turn his dog over the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals but will give his dog to his sister, Robin Runge, of Lacey. He had been staying with his sister when the incident occurred.
The authorities said said Runge had tossed the dog out orf his pickup truck window on March 11 and then drove away abandoning his dog. Runge struck a telephone pole while trying to leave the scene but he was pulled over by police.
Runge's blood alcohol level was 0.34 percent, with 0.10 the legal limit at the time of the accident.
SPCA has charged Runge with criminal and civil counts of abandoning an animal on the roadside. The Fair Haven police have charged him with abuse of a living animal.
The charges by the SPCA would be dropped if Runge give up his dog to the SPCA.
Stu Goldman, chief of the SPCA, said "It's hard to prove that he was tossed out of the window, but the fact is the dog was out (of the truck) when he tried to leave. I am not going to give up without a fight. The main thing I want is forfeiture of the dog."
Runge said he didn't abandon his dog. "When he needed surgery on his legs, I spent $3,800. That is how much I care about him. Who would throw $3,800 out the window?"
Runge said he struck the pole first and his dog hit the windshield as a result of the impact. The dog was spooked and jumped out the car. He said he was not driving away, but pulling away from the pole when he was stopped by the police.
Runge said, "I raised him. He is my child. He's my friend."
Goldman said Runge had bite marks on his hand when he was arrested, from an apparent scuffle with his dog.
Runge pleaded guilty to drunken driving, driving with a suspended license, guilty to possession of marijuana. Sentenced to 30 days with credit for time served.
He was fined more than $2,500 and his driver's license was suspended for three years.
Bail for the cruelty charge was $1,500. Runge said he will post bail and stay with his sister until the trial.
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