Driver accused of animal cruelty after he put his dog in the back of his pickup during snowstorm

A Colorado motorist was nearly cited for cruelty to animals after a photo circulated on social media showing a white husky dog sitting in the back of a moving pickup truck in the middle of a snowstorm.

The photo was taken by a woman in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday morning.

It shows a dog covered in snow as it sat in the back of a pickup truck that was driving along a roadway.

A veterinarian told KDVR-TV that the owner put the dog at risk of frostbite because it is unable to move around and stay warm.

‘That’s just a recipe for disaster,’ said Dr. Missy Tasky, a veterinarian at Gentle Touch Animal Hospital.

Locals called police, who tracked down the driver and gave him a warning that next time he would be cited for breaking city ordnance

‘It’s just not an ideal situation for that guy.’

The photo was taken at 10:20am on Thursday. Weather reports indicate that the temperature in Aurora at that time was 16 degrees, though the wind chill made it feel like zero degrees Fahrenheit.

‘In that situation, where there’s nowhere for him to go, it could be very problematic,’ Tasky said.

Tasky said that the breed of dog appears to be an Alaskan Malamute, an arctic breed that is believed to be able to withstand freezing temperatures.

‘[The driver] [b]etter have been cited,’ tweeted one angry Twitter user

Theresa M. Janson tweeted: ‘The dog should be driving and his owner in the back to see how he likes it.’

‘Dog is bred to thrive and work in below zero weather,’ tweeted Jimmy Foster. ‘Not an issue’

Frank Wolf tweeted: ‘I don’t think the dog cares. It’s not a big deal. Why are we not as concerned about the treatment of human lives? Why is abortion ok but this dog situation causes an uproar?’

But the driver of the pickup truck could be in trouble regardless of the weather.

According to local animal rights groups, it is illegal to transport an animal without adequate shelter.

Aurora Animal Services says it received multiple 911 calls from concerned citizens on Thursday.

One of the individuals who called 911 reported the driver’s license plate, enabling police to track him down.

Anthony Youngblood, an Animal Services Officer, said the driver was apologetic and forthcoming.

The driver told officers he had two animals in the back of the truck and that both were secured with harnesses.

Officers gave the man a warning.

On social media, opinion was divided as to whether the dog was tortured.

‘[The driver] [b]etter have been cited,’ tweeted one angry Twitter user.

Theresa M. Janson tweeted: ‘The dog should be driving and his owner in the back to see how he likes it.’ 

Others, however, said the breed of dog in this case could handle the freezing cold. 

‘Dog is bred to thrive and work in below zero weather,’ tweeted Jimmy Foster. ‘Not an issue.’ 

Frank Wolf tweeted: ‘I don’t think the dog cares. It’s not a big deal. Why are we not as concerned about the treatment of human lives? Why is abortion ok but this dog situation causes an uproar?’