Tulsa World: Vinita motorist is cited for allegedly dragging dog

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Vinita motorist is cited for allegedly dragging dog

Injuries to a dog that reportedly was dragged behind a pickup last week in Vinita included road burns to its legs and body. Courtesy

By RHETT MORGAN World Staff Writer
Published: 8/21/2009 3:32 AM
Last Modified: 8/21/2009 3:49 AM

VINITA — A Vinita man was ticketed last week for allegedly dragging a dog for about 300 feet behind a pickup, police said.

Nathan Goff, 21, was cited for carrying animals in a cruel manner, a misdemeanor, Officer Bobby Floyd said.

Sally Dietrich of Disney said she was traveling on a motorcycle in Vinita the afternoon of Aug. 14 when she saw two dogs chained behind a moving pickup. She estimated that the truck was traveling about 45 mph.

"One dog was actually flipping and flopping behind," she said.

The dog, described as a black Labrador mix, suffered friction burns above the knees and on the chest and had areas of skin sloughing, said Jimmie Ownbey, a Vinita veterinarian who treated the dog. The pad on the dog's right paw also was damaged, he said.

The other animal was uninjured.

Goff told police that he was transporting the dogs to a residence about two blocks away, Floyd said.

Goff reportedly told Floyd that he was traveling in his 1997 GMC Sierra pickup at idle speed, about 2 to 3 mph, when he realized that one of the dogs had fallen.

Goff appeared remorseful about the dog's injuries, Floyd said.

Ownbey said he thinks Goff "was going a lot faster than that. All I can say is the dog was dragged long enough to cause pretty good road burn. If you've ever fallen on a basketball floor, you can get a pretty good burn. But you don't usually slough off that skin."

Goff told police that he chained the dogs to the pickup

because on a previous trip, one had escaped from the truck's bed, Floyd said.

Dietrich, who confronted Goff at the scene, insisted that he take the dogs to a veterinarian immediately, she said.

Ownbey said the dogs weren't current on their vaccinations.

"They wanted to spend no money on fixing these dogs," he said. "Then the Humane Society got involved and started paying the bills."

The Humane Society of Grove and Grand Lake is caring for the 44-pound dog who was injured, now renamed Onyx. Her treatment has cost more than $400.

The agency plans to put the dog up for adoption once she is healed. Goff still has custody of the uninjured dog, officials said.

Floyd said that while at the scene, he consulted by phone with the Craig County District Attorney's Office about how to proceed.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Ely said Thursday that it was his initial understanding that only one dog was involved and that it was uninjured.

Told by a Tulsa World reporter that an animal was indeed injured, Ely said he would review photos taken of the dog by veterinary and Humane Society officials.

Rhett Morgan 581-8395
rhett.morgan@tulsaworld.com By RHETT MORGAN World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Vinita man cited in reported dog-dragging incident," which was published on 8/20/2009.

	Report Comment notyourfriend, (8/20/2009 6:08:34 PM) Who raised this kid? What is wrong here people.
	Report Comment im4osu, Broken Arrow (8/20/2009 6:10:40 PM) I hope those doggies are ok, I do not understand why someone would have a dog tied to the back of the truck in motion, thats just asking for trouble, sad story.
	Report Comment Centrist, near Tulsa (8/20/2009 6:11:09 PM) There should be a ban on people like this owning an animal again.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (8/20/2009 6:19:10 PM) I hope this loser spends some time behind bars where his fellow inmates can drag him around chains.
	Report Comment 2ndjoyce, BA (8/20/2009 6:23:55 PM) Poor babies. This makes me sick.
	Report Comment out east, Inola (8/20/2009 6:42:00 PM) I hope this was just a stupid mistake on the kids part and that this dog is adopted by people who will be good to her. Black Labs are very smart and tender-hearted dogs. I have one mixed with Basset and she is a 45 pound lap dog.
	Report Comment CWG, Tulsa (8/20/2009 6:49:15 PM) There is a hell of a lot of difference between 45 MPH and 2-3 MPH. There should be a felony charge applicable here. You can walk dogs two blocks and a dog won't flip and flop at 2-3MPH.
	Report Comment froggy, (8/20/2009 6:49:20 PM) There should be a law that you have to have an IQ greater than your pet. That would solve most of these problems.
	Report Comment fcol, (8/20/2009 7:00:00 PM) OMG - euthanize the man and fix help the dogs. The world will be a better place.
	Report Comment my view, Sand Springs (8/20/2009 7:02:16 PM) Before this kid hears the last of this he'll be facing felony charges. 2ndjoyce I'm in agreement with you it just makes me sick.
	Report Comment Just a country boy, North Okmulgee County (8/20/2009 7:16:23 PM) I may get slammed for saying this but I hate to see people riding around with dogs in the bed of there trucks. It is just an accident waiting to happen. They should get stopped an given a ticket or at least a warning.
	Report Comment Chiefs, Gore (8/20/2009 7:32:07 PM) There's no vaccination for stupidity. If there was, this might not happen. But again, maybe his momma wouldn't get him vaccinated. It sounds like he wants to spend some time with his fellow dog dragger, Hahn. It wasn't funny in 'Vacation' and isn't funny now. I agree, country boy, no one should carry animals loose in the back of pickups. I have even seen cattle dogs riding on a flatbed going from side to side. Just a swerve away from disaster. The dog should recover, though. Those black labs are resilient.
	Report Comment uklynbereg, (8/20/2009 7:59:55 PM) Garnish this idiot's checks (if some desperate person has him as an employee) to pay for the vet's bills and to help cover his prosecution. Some people just don't deserve to live.
	Report Comment Bullhead, Nicut (8/20/2009 8:00:52 PM) Remorseful? Remorseful that he was caught. He needs to pay and pay hard. Hard time. Stupid little punk. This world is going to Hell in a hand basket.
	Report Comment Four Sixteen Rigby, (8/20/2009 8:03:27 PM) I understand Creekmore Wallace has experience representing these kinds of defendants.
	Report Comment webparent, Tulsa (8/20/2009 8:17:28 PM) For this to happen two times in different towns only weeks apart tells me this could be a common practice. Maybe it's some sort of redneck dog training for the redneck olympics. Well, a precedent will be set in the Sapulpa case for the Vinita prosecutor to follow. Maybe the laws should be re-examined for a humanity update....misdemeanor my &$$!!
	Report Comment jestergrl1, Mannford (8/20/2009 8:21:30 PM) Were the dogs in the back of the truck or chained outside of the truck? From my understanding of reading the article the dogs were chained at the back of the vehicle and not inside the back of the vehicle. Regardless, no animal should be in the back of a moving truck unless it is caged.
	Report Comment yep, Tulsa County (8/20/2009 8:38:41 PM) Once again Okie law let this hick get off easy. When we get Sharia law here and these dog draggers get put behind vehicles and get dragged themselves, perhaps then they'll stop.
	Report Comment CWG, Tulsa (8/20/2009 8:39:51 PM) Every dog deserves a decent human.
	Report Comment Pastor Reginald Levi Walker, Not in Tulsa but will return soon. (8/20/2009 8:42:56 PM) It is just sad to treat a helpless animal like that. This is why you never ride dogs in the back of trucks. They tend to want to jump out. I wish someone in Oklahoma City will write a law against carrying in an unsafe way in the open bed of a truck.
	Report Comment douglassm, tulsa (8/20/2009 10:08:11 PM) Wow, yakimoto displays some humanity! At last there's something we can agree on.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, Austin, TX (8/21/2009 6:43:32 AM) I'm with the rest of you. He should be dragged until the flesh come off his knees and the tops of his feet
	Report Comment giddyupgal, (8/21/2009 7:16:02 AM) What a bonehead! Goff appeared remorseful???? I doubt it - I bet he's sorry he got CAUGHT, not sorry about the injuries to the dogs. I live in Vinita and can tell you that if anyone can care for this dog and get it through - it's Dr. Ownbey. He's one of the best small animal vets around. This dog owner should be dragged behind his pickup until he's got some serious road rash. Why didn't he use carriers or dog boxes? What about just putting them in the cab of the truck if he's only transporting a short distance? If this idiot is to be believed, one of the dogs had previously gotten out of the bed of the truck. What a jerk!
	Report Comment Herbert Rogers, Jenks (8/21/2009 7:50:29 AM) Three things: 1. Some men just have waaaay toooo much Testastarone. Simple, quick CASTRATION will give Peace to (them) and to Society. Ask any Rancher! 2. Hey Nathan...I'm going to give the Vinita Police Dept. my phone number, so the next time you want to take-it-out on defenseless animals, instead, you can look-me-up. Ought to make your day ! 3. I agree with the above comment...little ol' Nathan learned this from his mamma and daddy!
	Report Comment Herbert Rogers, Jenks (8/21/2009 8:06:33 AM) One more thing: "Yep" (above Submitter) just may be on-to-something: Our laws for restitution were basically designed for citizens who lived 30 and 40 years ago. This present generation, with NO hint of remorse for their action(s) needs a new kind of Sharia-type Law. It saves money and definitely is taylor-made for the Nathan Goffs of our World. I'm not Muslim...don't plan on becomming one...but our present laws are being made-fun-of by the guud-ol'-boys who care nuuthin'-bout-you er yuur kin ! Let's see what Sharia Law will do !

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