A Westover man was arrested for animal cruelty after witnesses saw him “dragging” his dog and striking a woman who tried to stop him.
Patrolman Cather, with the Westover Police Department, was dispatched to the area of 611 Bounds Circle in reference to a “disturbance,” a criminal complaint said.
Upon arrival, Cather spoke with a woman who said she saw a man, later identified as Raymond Junior Ward II, 48, of Westover, dragging his dog.
According to the complaint, the woman told Cather she tried to stop the man by grabbing the leash but was struck by Ward and had an abrasion on her arm.
Cather was able to locate Ward who said the dog was in the back of his Bounds Circle residence.
The officer reported seeing “several lacerations and abrasions” across the dog’s body, documenting areas along the dog’s knees, paws, groin area and stomach area. The dog allegedly also had a laceration on its throat.
In the complaint, Cather wrote that he was able to trace blood from Ward’s residence to Alley A, which is a distance of approximately 436 feet.
Several witnesses came forward to report seeing Ward dragging the dog through Riverview Avenue and Bounds Circle.
Ward is charged with cruelty to animals, specifically with the torture subset of state code, which is defined as an action taken for the primary purpose of inflicting pain.
He is being held at North Central Regional Jail on $2,500 bond.
