Tow truck driver fired after dog seen chained to truck sparks outrage

A photo of a dog tied up on the back of a tow truck as it goes down busy Route 128 has upset so many drivers who saw it that they now won't stop calling the Waltham company.

The photo, snapped by a Brockton man and posted on Facebook went viral and drew instant criticism, People quickly began posting their objections and flooding the business with calls.

The owner of the Ramsay's Towing, Justin Ramsay, said the dog is owned by the driver of the tow truck, and that driver has since been fired. The dog was apparently chained to the bed of the tow truck because two other people, whose van was being towed, were riding inside the cab with the driver, Ramsay said.

The man who took the picture that went viral, Mike Gerry, of Brockton, is a dog owner, who says he even tried to alert the driver.

Gerry said he saw the dog on the back of the flatbed while driving down Route 128, near Route 2, in Waltham n Wednesday. He beeped and tried to get the tow truck driver’s attention but wasn't able to, he said. Then he posted the photo on Facebook, and from there, Gerry said, "it went ballistic."

Ramsay's owner said the company will donate $1,000 to the MSPCA and has set up a call center so it can answer and return every single call about the incident.

Law enforcement officers from the Animal Rescue League and State Police are now conducting dual investigations, according to a news release, to determine if any charges will be filed.

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Cox Media Group