Shannon Lee Cantrell South Carolina man blames witches for throwing pet dog over Spartanburg County bridge. Charged with animal cruelty.
A South Carolina man accused of throwing his pet dog, not once, but twice over a bridge, told police he did so after witches compelled him to toss the animal.
Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement Officers responded to a call Monday, October 3, 2022, of 43 year old man, Shannon Lee Cantrell tossing a dog from a bridge over water located on Highway 11 in the Fingerville area of Spartanburg County.
A witness told officers that a man was tossing a dog off and over the bridge. Officers searched in the area below the bridge and found Cantrell – holding a brown-and-white pitbull-type canine dog in a choke hold.
Cantrell told the officers that ‘witches’ told him to throw the dog from the bridge. Police said the dog was thrown twice and wet from being in the water below. The dog owner told the officers that the dog was his and released ownership to Spartanburg County, WSPA reported.
Officers determined the distance from the bridge to the ground was approximately 34 feet. The one-year-old dog did not show any visible signs of injury but was ‘clearly shaken’ by the incident, police said. The dog was transported to Greenville County Animal Care for assessment.
Deputies with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cantrell and transported him to the Spartanburg County Dentition Center. He faces an animal cruelty charge.
Cantrell remains locked up pending $5,000 bond.