One of the UFC’s first ever champions is under investigation for animal abuse in Dallas, and it sounds like he is openly admitting that he abandoned a dog in unsafe conditions.
WFAA 8 reported on Thursday that Frank Shamrock, the first light heavyweight champion in UFC history, is under investigation for animal cruelty after he left his mother’s dog, Zelda, tied up in the back of a pickup truck at Love Field airport in Dallas. Shamrock left the dog with food and water and got on a flight home to California, and the dog was there from March 2 to March 7.
Shamrock appears to have been hoping someone would come along and take the dog in. He told WFAA in a phone interview that he was in Dallas to help his ailing mother move out of her home, and he found a shelter for one of her dogs but they refused to take Zelda. In a Facebook post on March 2, he outlined his plans and asked if someone could take Zelda in.
“Need help! Can anyone take a dog today in Dallas Texas? My mom has to give her dogs away as she can’t care for them anymore,” Shamrock wrote. “We will be at Dallas Love Field AirPort by 4pm and flights at 5pm. Dog lovers please help Zelda is a great guard dog and she has protected my mom for years. I have called every shelter and no kill pet center within 200 miles. Now I have to fly home and need some help.”
Shamrock, 47, told WFAA he’s an “animal lover” and believes he left the dog in a better situation than it would have otherwise been. Police are determining whether or not to charge him, and he says he will return to Dallas and face the consequences if need be.
“They can charge me with whatever. I will show up. It is what it is,” he said. “I’m not hiding in any way. It’s an unfortunate and terrible thing. I’m an animal lover and I ran away crying. … Here is what I guarantee. That dog is alive and safe right now and I couldn’t guarantee that before I tied that dog to the truck and left.”
The dog, which Shamrock says is around 7 years old, was taken in by Dallas animal control.
You never want to hear about a situation where animals are neglected, but unfortunately this isn’t the first one that has been connected to the sports world. How Shamrock thought that was a good idea is beyond comprehension.
H/T MMA Junkie
