Owner Dragged Dog Behind Truck To Teach It A Lesson: Police

LINTHICUM, MD — A Linthicum Heights dog owner has been charged with four counts of animal cruelty after he told Anne Arundel County Police he tied his dog's leash to his pickup truck bumper and then slowly drove around the block. The aim of the exercise was to discipline the dog, Rebel, for escaping the yard of Herbert Carl Sensibaugh, 53, of the 200 block of Charles Road, according to court documents.

A neighbor called police Saturday night to report seeing the German short-haired pointer mix behind the pickup. When the resident confronted Sensibaugh, the two argued and the dog's owner said it was done as discipline. On Monday, detectives and county animal control officers went to Sensibaugh's residence, where the saw the dog limping and with blood on its right front paw pad. Authorities took custody of Rebel, took him to a veterinarian for care, and applied for an arrest warrant for the owner.

When he was questioned by police, Sensibaugh said he told the neighbor who confronted him about having Rebel tied to the bumper to "mind their own business, he was disciplining the dog" by driving it around the block at 5 mph while tethered to the vehicle.

Three witnesses told police that Sensibaugh was driving much faster than he admitted, likely 25 mph, while the dog was tied up. "They said at times the dog could not keep up and would fall down being dragged, then would try frantically to get up and run," charging documents said. "He (Rebel) appeared scared the entire time."

On Wednesday police arrested Sensibaugh on animal cruelty charges. During a search officers reportedly found a small amount of suspected cocaine, 68 Oxycodone pills, 15 morphine pills, and 12 Endocet pills.

He is being held without bond on the animal cruelty charges, along with seven drug charges, according to online court records. The drug charges are two counts of distribution of narcotics, four counts of possessing drugs other than marijuana and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia.

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Photo of Herbert Carl Sensibaugh of Linthicum Heights, and pictures of injured dog, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Police