Woman Who Dragged Dog Fined, Must Pay for Care
Va. Judge Advises Her to Avoid Getting New Pets

By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 17, 2003; Page B01

A woman who dragged her Jack Russell terrier alongside her
car one June morning in Great Falls said in court yesterday
that the pup jumped from the vehicle and that she stopped
the moment she saw his purple leash leading out the window.

Jeong Oh, 48, said she had driven into the tree-lined
neighborhood of stately houses and spacious yards in search
of a "better home" for her dog, Champ. The 19-month-old terrier
was too rambunctious for her cramped townhouse in Sterling, Oh
testified, so she unwrapped the leash from the car seat, patted
Champ on the head and said goodbye.

"I spoke to him," Oh testified. " 'This is a good area.
You can go live in a better home in this area.' "

Yesterday she was convicted in Fairfax County General
District Court of animal abandonment and failure to provide
emergency care after Champ was dragged about 500 feet, his
paws scraped raw. Judge Ian M. O'Flaherty ordered Oh to pay
a $250 fine plus $656.75 for the dog's medical bills.

O'Flaherty said he believed that Oh was genuinely concerned
about Champ, but he advised her to refrain from acquiring
any new pets, "be they mammal, reptilian, insect -- whatever."

"When she opened the [car] door and saw the animal, I believe
she was glad it was alive," O'Flaherty said. "I think she
had come to the end of her rope and decided to leave the
animal there."

Champ captured the hearts of area residents when he was
injured and abandoned on Carpers Farm Way the morning of June 28.

As police searched for the driver of the red compact seen
dragging the little dog, dozens of people offered to pay
for his care or take him in.

Michael Reyna, who eventually adopted Champ, was the
first person to spot the injured dog.

He testified yesterday that he was driving home from
doing errands when he saw the pup sitting in the road
in a pool of blood. Reyna said he stopped and
encouraged the dog to move out of the street. The terrier
was trembling and panting, he said.

A few days after Champ's story hit the news, Oh's husband
went to the Fairfax animal shelter with a picture of Champ,
saying he thought the dog had run away, police said.

Animal Control Officer Andy Sanderson testified that Jeong
Oh told him that she was at the dentist the morning Champ
disappeared. Asked for the name of the dentist, Oh said
"that's not necessary," Sanderson said, and then explained
what had happened.

"Her exact response was, 'I did it,' " the officer said.

Oh said yesterday that she had thought about placing
a newspaper ad seeking a new owner for the dog but
worried that she wouldn't find a good family. She
said she also considered taking Champ to a shelter but
feared he'd be euthanized. In the end, she decided to
leave him in a neighborhood she'd often admired.

"I always tell my husband I want to live there someday,
it's very beautiful," she said. "I know it's a good
neighborhood. Better space, more space."

Outside the courtroom, Reyna said that Champ, who now
lives in the neighborhood, has made some new canine
friends but tends to be skittish around strangers.

"He's recovered physically," Reyna said, "but emotionally
he's still learning how to be a dog."
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