Man accused of torturing animals after tying dog to former girlfriend’s car with a heavy steel chain

Hendricks, Indiana – After allegedly using a thick steel chain to tie a dog to his ex-girlfriend’s car, a man was taken into custody and charged with animal cruelty.

Collin Rushton faces a single misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.

A dog was found tethered to the wheel of a red Monte Carlo in the motel parking lot on October 31, prompting a Plainfield police officer to be sent to the scene at 8:15 p.m. to conduct an investigation.

The motel management informed the police that they knew who owned the car, according to court filings. After being shown to a room, the officer spoke with a woman who claimed to be unaware that her dog was tethered to her car.

According to court filings, the dog was shivering in the cold, looked underweight and hungry, and had irritated skin around his neck from the chain. The dog was released from his chain by the officer, and staff members brought out some blankets to keep him warm.

After watching surveillance footage, the officer saw a white 1995 Ford F-350 pull up to the lot’s north side. The policeman thought he knew the driver and the truck from a two-week-old traffic check.

In the footage, a man who was identified as Rushton is seen bringing the dog out of the truck and securing it to the wheel of the vehicle with a thick steel chain that served as a leash.

The officer discovered throughout the investigation that Rushton was the motel employee’s ex-boyfriend. Rushton has been harassing her and her current boyfriend on a regular basis, she informed the police. The woman claimed to know the dog, claiming it was from when she used to live in Indianapolis.

The woman thought that Rushton was harassing her again by bringing the dog from the house and leaving him at the motel. Court filings state that the dog had been left outside in the cold for approximately three hours. The dog was given custody by animal control so that he may sleep in safety.

Rushton was discovered by the officer sleeping in a truck later that evening. Rushton acknowledged to the police that he had tied the dog up to the car at the motel and that he did not know what else to do with the dog.

A bench trial for Rushton is set for November 30, per case records.