A recent incident involving the alleged harsh treatment of a local dog named Raider by an animal control officer has sparked widespread concern in Winslow. The event was captured in a distressing video that has circulated heavily on social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok and even statewide news.

The video, taken by Winslow resident Jim Sundwall, appears to show the dog, a neighborhood favorite often cared for by multiple families, being choked with a catchpole, dragged across the street, and showing signs of distress including gasping for air and bleeding from the mouth, likely after biting its tongue accidentally in the exchange.

Sundwall, who told The Tribune that he along with his wife has a written agreement with Raider’s wheelchair-bound owner to make decisions for the dog, alleges that the involved police officer initially denied being bitten but later claimed otherwise when animal control arrived.

Eyewitness Theron Freeman corroborated the events, noting he measured the distance Raider was dragged — a startling 250 feet from his home to the animal control vehicle. In response to the incident, both Freeman and Sundwall have called for the dismissal of the head of animal control, Jack Williams saying, “The supervisor should be fired and the staff retrained.” Williams was not on the scene when the incident occurred.

Following the incident, Winslow Police Department placed the animal control officer on paid administrative leave and initiated a formal investigation. Raider was briefly quarantined but has since been returned to his owner, reported to be happy and healthy.

In a community effort to prevent future incidents, local charity group The Cherry Bombs has initiated a fundraising campaign to build a fence for Raider’s owner. The campaign details can be found on the Facebook pages of The Cherry Bombs and The Tribune.

The Tribune has reached out to the Winslow Police Department seeking additional information, including whether the responding officer was wearing a body camera and details about the training protocols for animal control officers. The department has stated that it will provide this information at the conclusion of their investigation. The Tribune is committed to updating the community as more details become available.