Brandon man, Marion Hess Martin, arrested after allegedly dragging dog

MISSISSIPPI -- A Brandon man was arrested this week after a dog that had been tied in his truck was allegedly dragged for almost a mile and left for dead.

Marion Hess Martin, 64, was arrested for aggravated cruelty to a dog after his dog, Brutis, was dragged for about eight tenths of a mile after falling out of the back of the truck.

When Martin stopped at a store in the Robinhood community and saw Brutis was injured, authorities said he untied the dog, put the rope back in his truck, and drove off.

Brutis was left lying in the store parking lot, which is where Rankin County's Animal Control unit picked him up. He was transported to Luckett Animal Clinic in Brandon where he is recovering.

An employee at the clinic said Brutis "will be fine," but declined to comment further citing the open police investigation.

Sheriff Bryan Bailey said in a release Thursday that Brutis may never walk normally again after the incident.

Rankin County Justice Court Judge Richard Redfern issued a warrant for Martin, who was transported to the Rankin County Jail where his bond was set at $10,000.

Aggravated cruelty carries up to six months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine on the first conviction. A second conviction within five years would be a felony charge.
(Clarion Ledger - Dec 19, 2014)