Animal welfare officer in Arizona back on duty after dog-dragging incident

WINSLOW, Ariz. – A Winslow animal catcher who was placed on leave in May after he was seen dragging a dog across the street has returned to work.

Winslow police said Wednesday that the officer returned to work on July 10 in a “limited capacity” pending the outcome of an administrative investigation.

Police said the Navajo County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the officer for the actions committed on May 4.

On the day of the incident, a passerby filmed the animal rights activist attempting to catch a dog in a neighborhood near Winslow High School. The video shows the dog in distress, panting and gasping as the animal is dragged along the sidewalk.

According to police, the dog bit a police officer during the incident and was eventually handed over to its owner.

The passerby’s video was posted online, which caused outrage among the public and the police launched an investigation. The results of the investigation were then handed over to the public prosecutor’s office for review.

The police said they were currently conducting a “thorough review” of the agency’s work and would examine ways to improve training.

*Editor’s Note: The above video is from a previous broadcast*

Locals call the Phoenix metropolitan area “The Valley.” It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the southwest.

In addition to Phoenix, the valley consists of several major cities, including:

• Table Mountain
• Chandler
• Scottsdale
• Tempe
• Glendale
• Surprise
• Peoria
• Gilbert
• El Mirage
• Avondale
• Litchfield Park
• Good year
• buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on its location in relation to Phoenix.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the valley’s cities have a total population of 4,845,832, making it the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in the country, just behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?

According to the 2020 census, Maricopa County is the fourth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 4,485,414.

The county is home to approximately 63% of Arizona’s population and has an area of ​​9,224 square miles, making it larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the country is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open park space with hundreds of miles of hiking trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county seat is in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and, according to the census, the fifth-largest city in the United States.

The district was named after the Maricopa or Piipaash Indian tribe.