Men accused of dragging "stubborn" bull behind car

Two men are accused of tying a rope around a bull's neck, attaching the rope to the rear of a car and dragging the animal at least a half-mile along South Star Lake Road in unincorporated King County near Auburn.

The men, ages 75 and 57, told deputies Sunday afternoon that they were moving the bull to a new pasture and dragged it with the car because the bull "is stubborn," said King County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart. Both men were booked into the King County Jail on Sunday evening on investigation of first-degree animal cruelty.

Several people called 911 around 4:30 p.m. Sunday to report that a 1989 Buick Century was seen "dragging a cow with a rope" in the 4200 block of South Star Lake Road, Urquhart said.

When deputies found the car traveling east on South Star Lake Road near 44th Place South, the bull was on its stomach, its legs splayed on the pavement, he said.

A witness told deputies he'd seen the bull being dragged and said the animal was obviously in distress and was resisting as it was pulled down the street until it collapsed where the deputies had found it, Urquhart said.

The bull was dragged for about three blocks before the men were stopped, and there were open, bleeding wounds around the size of a half-dollar on all of the bull's legs and hoofs, according to a statement of probable cause.

The driver, a 75-year-old Auburn man, and the passenger, a 57-year-old Federal Way man, told a deputy that they always move this bull in such a manner because he's stubborn.

The passenger reportedly claimed the animal wasn't injured and said, "You have to be that way with cows," according to Urquhart.

He said the bull, in obvious pain, eventually got to its feet and moved to a grassy shoulder.

Based on blood streaks and dragging marks, deputies estimated the bull had been dragged about a half-mile, Urquhart said. One of the blood streaks was at least 20 feet long, he added.

The bull was turned over to the Washington State Animal Response Team. "It is recovering nicely," Gretchen McCallum, president of the nonprofit organization, said Monday.

"But it's [legs are] very stiff," McCallum added. She said several of the bull's wounds are "quite deep."

The animal will remain under the care of the team and may be considered evidence if the suspects are charged.

Seattle Times staff reporter Phillip Lucas contributed to this report.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com