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Man accused of dragging dogs appears in court

WAYNE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 59-year-old man is accused of tying rope around the necks of two dogs and dragging them by the hitch of his car last month in Wayne Township.

According to police, officers were called to the area of Dewey Avenue on July 27 for the report of a man dragging dogs with a rope using his vehicle.

A responding officer reported that he found the two dogs badly injured with multiple gashes. The ropes were still around both dogs’ necks.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the dogs’ owner, William Wilkinson, told police the dogs got out of his yard while he was at the doctors.

The affidavit said Wilkinson said he couldn’t find anyone to help him when he located the dogs, so he tied the rope around the dogs and traveled about 2 mph with them tied to the hitch.

At one point, according to affidavit, Wilkinson said he stopped to give one of the dogs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Police talked with a witness, later identified as Chuck Medved, who said he saw the dogs being dragged so he raced in to help.

“I thought it was a bag, but when I got closer I realized it was dogs, then I realized they were alive,” Medved said. “They were both not trying to get up and not trying to move. It was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.”

Medved told police he noticed one of the dogs was not breathing so he got a knife from his truck to cut the rope.

According to the affidavit, Medved told police he couldn’t get his fingers under the rope because it was so tight. Medved said Wilkinson eventually resuscitated the dog.

“He said they got lose from his yard and they were in the creek and he went to find them and when he found them he didn't want to ride them in his car so he tied them to a hitch,” Medved said.

Medved then called police, who came to the scene.

The affidavit said Wilkinson told officers dragging the dogs was an accident, and he didn’t know the rope would strangle them.

The dogs were taken to a veterinarian and are currently recovering in an unspecified safe location.

On Thursday, Wilkinson’s defense attorney explained that his client’s punishment could be two years of ARD classes.

“The district attorney has agreed to allow him to undergo the ARD program in Greene County. It will be for a period of two years, and provided the judge accepts him into the program, he charges will be expunged,” said defense attorney Kevin Freyder

WPXI

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