A Memphis man accused of dragging a white pit bull down Park Avenue with his car was booked back into jail Monday after violating the terms of his bond, months after witnesses say they watched him pull the injured animal along the pavement at speeds between 5 and 10 miles per hour.
Anthony Lawrence Gailey-Burdine, 32, was identified as the driver seen dragging the dog on April 14, 2026, according to a police report cited by WREG. Witnesses told police they saw the driver dragging the dog down Park and followed him until he stopped in the 2300 block of Park, where they found the vehicle's driver side covered in the dog's blood. The dog's feet were rubbed raw from being dragged, a witness reported, and its body was left covered in road rash.
Memphis animal control was called to take control of the dog after the driver stopped, and an animal control officer later reported that the pit bull had lost its pads and toenails from being dragged along the pavement. Animal control officers determined, per the police report, that the injuries resulted from intentional maiming — a finding that underpins the felony charge against Gailey-Burdine.
Bond Violation Triggers Bench Warrant
Gailey-Burdine was originally arrested in connection with the April incident and was later released on a $5,000 bond. He failed to make a court appearance, prompting a bench warrant for his arrest. He was taken back into custody on August 24 on that warrant, and Shelby County Sheriff's Office booking records show he was booked into jail that afternoon at 1:48 p.m. on the aggravated cruelty to animals charge.
He is now scheduled to appear in court on September 17, 2026, in Memphis.
What Tennessee Law Requires
Gailey-Burdine is charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a charge defined under Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-212 as intentionally or knowingly maiming, torturing, or causing serious physical injury to a companion animal without justifiable purpose. In Tennessee, aggravated cruelty to animals is prosecuted as a Class E felony, and under T.C.A. § 40-35-111, a conviction carries a prison sentence ranging from one to six years along with a fine of up to $3,000. The same statute also requires that, upon conviction, the sentencing court order the defendant to surrender custody and forfeit all companion animals.
Memphis Animal Services, which took custody of the injured pit bull, serves as Shelby County's only open-intake municipal shelter and takes in more than 8,000 animals annually. The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County notes that local animal cruelty complaints are typically routed to Memphis Animal Services officers through the police non-emergency dispatch line.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Memphis
This case adds to a string of animal cruelty prosecutions that have drawn attention across Memphis this year. In June, a Memphis Animal Services employee was arrested after officers raided his South Memphis home and seized eight adult dogs along with a litter of puppies in a suspected dogfighting case. In May, a Memphis veterinary hospital employee was arrested after surveillance footage allegedly showed him throwing a dog, breaking two bones in its wrist. And in February, a Whitehaven eviction led to 17 counts of aggravated animal cruelty after officers found 17 dead animals on the property, including 10 kittens in a freezer.
Together, those cases have put a spotlight on how Memphis Animal Services and local prosecutors handle severe animal abuse allegations. The condition of the pit bull dragged along Park Avenue and any details of its recovery have not been reported.
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