A Flomaton man is gearing up for trial in Escambia County after an onlooker allegedly saw him dragging his dog down the road by a chain connected to a vehicle.
James Lord is charged with the aggravated cruelty of an animal after allegedly injuring his dog while stopping at the Southern Pit Stop gas station in Century on July 5, 2023.
Court records say Lord committed the crime by “intentionally dragging his dog by a chain attached to his car as he drove southbound on Century Boulevard, causing numerous wounds and inflicting excessive and unnecessary pain and suffering to said animal.”
A witness told Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies he was at the Southern Pit Stop around 9:30 p.m. on July 5 when he heard his girlfriend began yelling. That’s when they saw Lord’s vehicle pull away from the gas station.
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“(The witness) stated that he noticed a dog attached to a chain and that the chain was leading from the passenger front door of the vehicle,” court records say. “(The witness) stated that he and his girlfriend kept yelling at the car to stop because it was dragging the dog.”