A 26-year-old Loris man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after police say he tied a dog to the back of his vehicle and dragged it approximately 3.5 miles down a rural Horry County road before officers tracked him back to a house where two other dogs and a dead dog were found. Yudiel Navarro-Valazquez was arrested and charged with animal cruelty offenses following the incident on Cherry Hill Road, according to authorities.
According to WYFF4, Navarro-Valazquez dragged the dog behind the car for roughly 3.5 miles, then stopped and placed it in the vehicle before returning home. Officers with the Horry County Police Department's 4th Precinct responded Friday after a witness reported seeing the dog dragged behind a moving vehicle along Cherry Hill Road, per the Horry County Police Department. The investigation led officers to a home on Harvey Road, where the vehicle involved was also located.
At the Harvey Road property, officers found two other dogs belonging to Navarro-Valazquez. A dead dog was also found at the scene, the report notes. The driver was stopped after dragging the dog approximately 3.5 miles, and Navarro-Valazquez was subsequently booked at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, a 20-unit facility in Conway managed by the Horry County Sheriff's Office.
Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Filed
Navarro-Valazquez was charged with one felony animal cruelty charge tied to the dog dragged on Cherry Hill Road, along with two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges stemming from the mistreatment of the two other dogs found at his home, the same account states. Under South Carolina Code § 47-1-40(B), felony ill-treatment of animals — defined as torturing, tormenting, needlessly mutilating, or cruelly killing an animal — carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 days up to five years in prison, plus a $5,000 fine upon conviction, according to Justia Law.
The two misdemeanor counts fall under a separate section of the same statute, which classifies general ill-treatment or deprivation of sustenance as punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for a first offense, according to the South Carolina Legislature. Subsequent convictions under that section can carry up to two years in prison. It remains unclear whether investigators believe the dragging was intentional or the result of gross negligence, and the current medical status of the surviving dog has not been detailed in available reports.
Rural Northern Horry County Location
The incident occurred in the Loris area, a residential and agricultural city in northern Horry County with a 2026 population of roughly 3,027 people, located about 25 miles inland from North Myrtle Beach, per World Population Review. Horry County covers 1,356 square miles, and the Horry County Police Department provides coverage across the unincorporated county area, according to Horry County government records.
This case follows a broader pattern of animal cruelty enforcement in the area. In July, a monthlong animal cruelty investigation led to three arrests and the recovery of multiple neglected dogs. Horry County's Environmental Services Division fields animal-related calls countywide.
State Lawmakers Weighing Tougher Penalties
The arrest also comes as South Carolina lawmakers consider changes to animal cruelty laws. Separately, lawmakers introduced House Bill 4721 during the 2025–2026 legislative session to update misdemeanor and felony guidelines around vehicle confinement and pet neglect, a proposal aimed at closing gaps critics say have long made the state's penalties too lenient.
Whether bond has been set for Navarro-Valazquez has not been reported, and further details on the condition of the surviving dog seized from the Harvey Road home remain open questions as the investigation continues.
