WELLAND – Police say a small dog suffered 'traumatic injuries' after being dragged nearly a kilometre by a car, an ordeal that only ended after the leash it was being dragged with snapped just seconds before the car got into an accident.

Just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, Niagara Regional Police received a 911 call about a dog being dragged by a car on Southworth Street. A few moments later, police got another call about the same vehicle striking another vehicle nearby.

Police learned a small daschund/beagle mix had been dragged along Southworth and suffered traumatic injuries.

A witness rushed the dog to a nearby veterinarian's office, where its injuries were treated.

Police say that remarkably, considering the ordeal the dog endured, it is expected to recover.

Detectives followed up on information from uniform officers and witnesses and learned the dog had been attached by a leash to the passenger side door of a black Hyundai Accent, which was driven to the Beer Store on Lincoln Street.

The vehicle departed the Beer Store and travelled east along Lincoln before turning south on Southworth, with the dog trying its best to keep up. The dog was unable to keep up, and several witnesses tried to signal the driver about what was happening to the dog.

However, the dog was only freed when – just seconds before the car got into a collision – the leash broke. The car struck another vehicle and came to a stop about 800 metres from the Beer Store.

As a result of the investigation, Cassandra McKay, 42, and Gary DeWilde, 47, both of Fort Erie, have been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and causing injury with willful neglect to a dog.

Investigators are still interested in talking to anyone with may have witnessed the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call 905-688-4111, ext. 3355.