Pit Bull-Dragging Pickup Driver Sought

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.J. - The SPCA in Cumberland County is caring for a dog that officials said was dragged behind a truck.

Authorities said the pit bull was pulled behind a green pickup for at least two blocks in south Vineland Saturday night. The dog has severe road burns on its right side.

"Her whole body, basically, is covered in road burns. She had lost a lot of skin, obviously a lot of fur," says Bev Greco, Executive Director of the Cumberland County SPCA . "She has large road burns on the right side of her body. Her front pads and toenails, some areas are just gone."

"The guy had a dog tied onto the back of his bumper, dragging her along,” said the woman who called 911. "The dog was lifeless, it looked lifeless. It was dragging, like it was a rag doll."

Veterinarians said the dog has been kind to her caretakers despite the obvious pain she's in.

The SPCA is investigating. They're trying to figure out whether maybe the driver just didn't realize the dog had been tied to the bumper.

"It was bad, I mean, it was pretty bad. I thought it was in a fight and someone just dropped it off to die. And then the more we looked at it, it looked like it had been burned," says Eric Spinnato, who found the dog. "It's just a crying shame. I just can't even understand how somebody could do something like that."

Police found the pink and yellow jump-rope used to tie the dog's neck to the bumper, but they did not recover any fingerprints off it.

If this was not a horrible accident, that driver would face felony charges, big fines, and possible jail time.