Dog recovering after being dragged by truck in Hernando County

SPRING HILL, Fla. (FOX 13) - Bystanders rushed to help save the life of a dog that was spotted being dragged behind a truck in Spring Hill on Friday.

Jan Harwood, the owner of Nature Coast Animal Wellness and Surgical Center in Weeki Wachee, saw the pit bull being dragged by rope on his neck behind a truck on Northcliffe Blvd.

"I can't un-see what I saw and I imagine I'm going to be seeing that for a long time. It was absolutely the most horrific thing that I have ever witnessed," Harwood said.

The dog, since nicknamed "Ollie," was rescued after he came loose and flew into the median when the truck turned south on Franconia Ave.

According to the veterinary clinic, a Spectrum technician managed to retrieve the dog and brought him to the vet's office.

The veterinarian said it appears that Ollie, who did not have a microchip, is approximately 2 years old and did not suffer any broken bones.

"We are monitoring for internal bleeding and [the dog] will be in our care until he is healed and adopted," the clinic wrote in a post on Facebook.

Ollie suffered several burns on his left side from being dragged along the roadway, but he is able to walk.

"It's a tremendous feeling to know this baby boy has survived that horrible accident," Harwood said.

Harwood said the truck appeared to be an older model faded blue pickup truck that looked like it was may be used as a work vehicle and had a lot of items in its truck bed.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hernando County Sheriff's Office at 352-754-6830