EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) A Fort Bliss sergeant who was charged with animal cruelty earlier this month told police that the dog was his service animal, according to court documents obtained by affiliate KTSM.
David Scott, 46, was arrested on Thursday, June 5, and charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals: kill/poison/serious bodily injury after tethering his service dog, Rooster, to an “extremely hot metal surface in the back of a truck, causing it unjustifiable pain and suffering” on Thursday, May 29, according to court documents.
Court documents say Rooster, a 1-year-old red heeler, was seen in distress in the back of a truck that Thursday afternoon, which was parked at Las Palmas Marketplace at 1319 George Dieter.
A witness told police that after exiting a store in the strip mall area, she noticed a dog was panting heavily, shaking, and balancing itself on the edge of the bed of the truck.
The witness took a video of the dog and captured the moment the dog slipped and was hanging by its collar. The witness then helped the dog back onto the truck bed, telling police that the truck bed was extremely hot to the touch, court documents said.
The witness then retrieved a blanket from her vehicle and placed it on the bed of the truck to provide some relief for the dog. The witness confirmed that the dog had no water, food, or shade, according to court documents.
The witness sent the video to a popular social media page on Instagram, to which the social media account advised the witness to report the incident to authorities, according to court documents.
An officer responded to the scene shortly after and made contact with Scott at a restaurant nearby. Scott told the officer that he had seen the video on social media stating, “We were inside Ariat and I do have lead back there. So, I just saw the clip on FitFam, but when I watched it, he slipped off and came right back on. He wasn’t hanging there, because by the time I came back out to the truck, he was already back on,” according to court documents.
Scott then confirmed to police that the dog was his service animal and told police that the video on social media “does not accurately reflect what the dog is capable of, claiming that Rooster has jumped from helicopters and participated in missions with him,” court documents said.
Court documents say the dog was secured to the truck’s rail with a leash, preventing it from moving freely. Scott was then seen entering a store, leaving the dog exposed to direct sunlight without any form of shade. The truck bed, made of steel, became extremely hot, creating hazardous conditions for the dog, court documents said.
At the time of the incident, the ambient temperature was recorded at 95 degrees, while the steel surface of the truck bed reached 140 degrees, according to court documents.
Court documents say Scott intentionally and knowingly caused the dog unjustifiable pain and suffering by leaving it tethered to the bed truck under extreme heat conditions. This act of “negligence” subjected the dog to physical distress, pain, and suffering.
Scott was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility under a $30,000 bond. He later posted bond on Sunday, June 8.
A Fort Bliss spokesperson confirmed that Scott is a sergeant assigned to the Soldier Recovery Unit at William Beaumont Army Medical Center.
