Sparta man charged with dragging dog thought it was already dead, he tells judge

The Sparta man charged with two felonies in what prosecutors called an “incredibly disturbing” animal cruelty case said he believed his dog was dead when he dragged it with his vehicle.

Tracy E. McKee, 62, represented himself at his pretrial detention hearing Tuesday. He tearfully explained that he thought his 7-year-old Rottweiler, Trick, died outside the Econo Inn, a Washington Park motel where he was staying on Wednesday, June 10.

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to lift the 70- to 80-pound dog into his vehicle, and under pressure from the motel to get the dog off the property, McKee said he resorted to using his vehicle to slowly drag the dog.

“There was no screaming, there was no barking, there was no nothing,” McKee said. “He was dead.”

McKee was charged late last week with animal torture, a Class 3 felony, and aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 4 felony.

St. Clair County Associate Judge Sara Rice ultimately ordered that McKee remain in custody at the county jail while awaiting trial, stating his alleged actions show “a severe lack of consideration for this being’s well-being, for their life.”

Police responded to the 5300 block of Bunkum Road around 5:47 p.m. on June 10 following reports of a dog being dragged from a moving vehicle, St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Randy Knopf told the court Tuesday. He said the dog had been left in a field.

The Rottweiler was found alive and was quickly transported to Gateway Guardians, an emergency veterinary hospital in East St. Louis. The shelter paid for the dog’s care, according to Gateway Guardians social media post.

Veterinary staff determined the dog suffered from a dangerously elevated body temperature and, when the dog’s condition worsened, decided to euthanize him early on June 11, the shelter’s post said.

Knopf told the court that multiple surveillance videos captured a small blue SUV dragging a dog. He described the footage as “incredibly disturbing.”

“The act with the dog is ridiculous – and I’ve never used that word in here,” Knopf said.

Knopf also said a witness at the motel told investigators that the dog was left in a vehicle for eight to nine hours, which McKee disputed. McKee maintained that when the motel wouldn’t let Trick stay inside, he tethered Trick to a tree in the shade.

When he thought Trick died, McKee said he tried to call Belleville Animal Control but did not receive an answer. When he couldn’t hoist the dog into the SUV, he said he decided to drag it down the street.

McKee reiterated multiple times that he did not mean to harm Trick, as he thought Trick had already died.

“I’m guilty of abandoning him,” McKee said. “I did leave him, but I came back with the intent to bury him.”

Knopf said McKee has 56 previous convictions, ranging from drug offenses to burglary and property damage, and was on active probation in a Missouri case at the time of the alleged animal abuse offense.

Considering his criminal history, releasing McKee pending trial would be dangerous to dogs and the larger community, Knopf said.

“I don’t have any violence or abusive history,” McKee replied in court.

BND intern Katie Grawitch contributed to this report.

This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:37 PM.