An Illinois man has received the maximum sentence after dragging his dog behind his vehicle and dumping him.
Tracy McKee, of Sparta, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for animal torture, aggravated animal cruelty, and animal cruelty, of which he must serve at least five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Before the brutal dragging, Trek, a Rottweiler, had been left outside for hours as temperatures climbed well into the 90s in Washington Park, Illinois. Police said that instead of getting him help, McKee kept Trek chained to an SUV and drove away while he was still alive. He then abandoned him in a vacant gravel lot.
Good Samaritans who saw the incident in security-camera footage found Trek on the side of the road and came to his aid. Gateway Pet Guardians, an East St. Louis shelter, joined the effort to save him and covered the cost of his emergency veterinary care. Despite those efforts, Trek’s injuries were too severe, and he died the following day.
“Historically, it has been incredibly difficult to hold individuals accountable for acts of animal cruelty, so we are deeply grateful to everyone involved for taking Trek’s case seriously and ensuring that justice was served,” Gateway Pet Guardians said in a Facebook post.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to everyone who helped care for Trek in his final hours and worked to hold his abuser accountable. While the sentence cannot undo his suffering or bring him back, it sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated.
