Man who tied puppy to train tracks was ‘confused,’ officials say
Authorities believe a 78-year-old man thought to have tied a puppy to train tracks in Riverside County last week may have been “senile†and “didn’t fully understand what he had done,†officials said Tuesday.
A train engineer noticed a man walking away from something left on the Mecca-area tracks about 5 p.m. on April 2, Riverside County Animal Services said in a statement Tuesday. That something was a live, 10-month old poodle-terrier mix.
The engineer used the train’s emergency brakes to stop and avoided hitting the puppy, officials said. A Union Pacific agent arrived, arrested the man and freed the dog.
“It’s probably one of the worst things I’ve ever seen,†Agent Sal Pina said in a statement. “I’ve never seen something like this.â€
The man told Pina his family didn’t want the dog and he didn’t know what to do, officials said.
The statement said Pina could not pursue animal-cruelty charges “because the man appeared to be confused or senile and didn’t fully understand what he had done.â€
The man, whose name was not provided, was released to his family.
The dog was taken to Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, where a veterinary technician deemed it “very healthy and friendly.â€
She took the puppy home “to give it extra care,†officials said.
The dog, nicknamed “Banjo†for old train traffic signals, is available for adoption. Those interested can email [email protected] for information.
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