SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A dog in Spartanburg County is OK and out of the custody of a man who threw him off of a bridge, twice.
The county announced on Friday that its Environmental Enforcement Officers were called days earlier to a report of someone tossing a dog from a 34-foot bridge in the Fingerville area.
They soon learned that 43-year-old Shannon Lee Cantrell had actually done it twice already and was holding the dog in a chokehold when the officers arrived.
As to why he did it, Cantrell told officers that "witches" told him to throw the dog off the bridge. He, however, released ownership of the dog to Spartanburg County after confirming to officers that he was, in fact, the owner.
Despite the steep fall, the one-year-old canine appeared to suffer little more than a wet fur coat from the water below. However, officers said he was "clearly shaken."
Still, Cantrell faces a code enforcement violation for the ill-treatment of an animal and a charge of animal cruelty. He has since been taken to the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
The dog, meanwhile, has been taken to Greenville County Animal Care for assessment.
