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Man arrested for dragging dog by neck through Las Vegas airport

Several passengers attempted to stop abuse
Posted at 3:44 PM, Oct 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-31 21:20:47-04

A man was arrested at McCarran International Airport after he was observed dragging a dog through the terminal on Oct. 27.

According to the arrest report, a Las Vegas police officer was on patrol near the B gates when she heard people yelling "Stop!" and "He's killing his dog!"

The police officer then saw a man yelling and walking quickly. He was dragging a dog on its side as he walked. The dog was an 8-pound Chihuahua that was later identified as Chase. The dog was breathing hard, yelping and snorting. Approximately 7 or 8 people were attempting to stop the man.

The police officer yelled at the man to stop. The man stopped and Chase struggled to his feet. The man attempted to pick up the dog and the dog cringed in apparent fear.

The man, identified as 50-year-old David Updike, told the police officer through an interpreter (he is hard of hearing) that he was using the bathroom prior to his flight and when he went back to the gate, his flight boarded and the doors were closed.

He became enraged that he had missed his flight and began walking away, dragging the dog.

The arrest report says that he seemed nonchalant about his treatment of the dog. He also shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes when it was explained to him why he was being detained.

Other passengers who had attempted to stop Updike stayed nearby for several minutes, wanting to make sure that the dog was going to be OK.

The police officer ran a records check on Updike and discovered that he has 4 active warrants.

They are:

  • Failure to appear for torture/injure/abuse of animal
  • Failure to appear for pet unattended in vehicle during extreme heat/cold
  • Failure to appear for driving on a revoked driver's license
  • Failure to appear for engaging in business without permit or license

Animal Control was called for to take custody of Chase. By this time, Chase appeared subdued, dazed and scared. It was decided to take the dog to an animal hospital to be evaluated.

Updike was placed under arrest for his treatment of the dog. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

The animal hospital discovered that Chase had an elevated temperature and was dehydrated. He also appeared to be in pain and was given medication.

Surveillance video of the incident was also recovered at the airport.