Dragged behind vehicle for 45 minutes, dog injured – Owner arrested

MT. SHASTA, Calif., — Authorities say a man was arrested for felony animal abuse after an investigation revealed the alleged suspect had dragged his dog behind his vehicle for more than 45 minutes Saturday morning, Oct. 2.

Officials have not said if the dog’s dragging was intentional or accidental; and the dog, which suffered bloodied paws, exhaustion, and dehydration, is continuing to receive treatment at an area animal hospital.

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City of Mt. Shasta police officers responded to an animal abuse complaint around 10:00 a.m. and located an exhausted, overheated and dehydrated dog that was bleeding from the pads of its feet. They also contacted the dog’s owner, 74-year-old Donald Lee Jost.

Donald Lee Jost, 74, was arrested after officials say he dragged his dog behind his vehicle for more than 45 minutes Saturday morning. Mt. Shasta PD photos

The injured dog was taken to the Shasta Animal Hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

During their subsequent investigation, officers determined Jost “was driving his vehicle while dragging the dog for over 45 minutes,” MSPD later said of the incident and Jost’s arrest. “This caused an injury to the canine’s feet, exhaustion, and dehydration.”

Officials did not specify the type of vehicle the dog was dragged behind, how fast Jost was driving when his dog was injured, or what may have led to the incident.

Based on their investigation, Jost was arrested and later booked into the Siskiyou County Jail on suspicion of felony animal abuse and animal cruelty charges.

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The dog remains in the custody and care of the Siskiyou Humane Society and is continuing to receive treatment for its injuries.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.