Shetland pony dragged behind flatbed truck
Loxley, AL (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Sep 23, 2006
County: Baldwin

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Jerry Cruthers

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A veterinarian said his efforts to save Jet, a 3-year-old brown Shetland pony, ended on Sept 27 when he was forced to euthanize the animal that police reported had been dragged behind a truck by its caretaker.

Police said the pony was pulled for about 500 feet along a Loxley highway behind a flat-bed truck on the night of Sept 23.

Loxley police arrested a man currently identified as 46-year-old Jerry Cruthers, and investigators have been trying to confirm his name.

Cruthers was being held on Sept 27 in Daphne City Jail on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and reckless endangerment. Loxley authorities said they planned to charge him with killing or disabling livestock, a felony under Alabama law.

Police said Cruthers tied the pony to the back of his truck on Sept 23 and apparently forgot about it when he began driving south on Alabama 59 about 11 that night.

Cruthers drove less than a quarter-mile to a BP gas station, dragging the pony along the pavement on its left side, said Dr. Tim Stewart, the veterinarian who tried to help the animal.

The incident left Jet with severe skin burns and bruising and a left knee joint that was totally exposed, Stewart said. The pony was treated at Stewart's Baldwin Animal Clinic in Summerdale, where Stewart said he performed surgery on Sept 26.

"He was doing very well, but the injuries were very deep and very extensive," Stewart said Wednesday. "He had been drug so far on his left side that the frictional heat had actually cooked his rib muscles."

Jet went down on his knees after he could no longer keep up with the truck, Stewart said. The pony's bones and tissue were destroyed, and he sustained nerve damage to his left leg, he said.

A group of horse doctors met to discuss the pony's treatment, and Stewart said they all concluded that euthanasia was the best option. Stewart said the pony was "underfed" when it came to his office but appeared to be well cared for before being dragged.

Wednesday morning, Jet's life ended following a highly concentrated injection of anesthesia, Stewart said.

"This was a sweet pony -- one of those ponies that everybody wishes their kids would have," he said. "Our staff became extremely attached to him in the three days that he was here. He had such a good nature and was a grateful little patient."

At the time of his arrest, Cruthers was overseeing Jet and five or six other ponies that were being used for children's rides at a roadside carnival in Loxley, Stewart said. The other ponies have since been moved to another location by their owner, Rick Kirkland, Stewart said.

Cruthers worked as overseer for Kirkland, who owns and operates Dade City, Fla.-based Palm Amusements.

Kirkland said Tuesday that he relinquished rights to Jet so the pony could receive better medical care from Stewart. Kirkland did not respond to telephone messages Wednesday.

Jeanine Stewart, one of the owners of Burris Farm Market on Alabama 59, said she saw Kirkland's roadside carnival, which was set up about a half-mile from her business.

"It looked like a miniature fair with a big sign that said 'pony rides.' And there was a small tent and with about three or four ponies in it for kids," she said.

The city of Loxley had issued Kirkland a one-week permit for the carnival on Sept. 12, according to an official at Loxley City Hall.

The Baldwin County Humane Society established a special fund to help pay for Jet's medical needs, said Tracy Holiday, president of the group's board. All of the donations will still go toward helping pay for those medical bills, she said.

The Humane Society also was planning to find a home for Jet, Holiday said.

"It's sad," she said. "But it was wonderful to see how people rallied around that pony, and what happened to him showed that we don't have adequate laws to protect those animals from this type of treatment.

Case Updates

References

Press-Register - Sept 27, 2006

« AL State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.