Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Frank Shamrock is reportedly being investigated for animal cruelty after allegedly leaving his mother’s dog, named Zelda, tied to a pickup truck at an airport for five days.
Shamrock, who claims to be an animal lover, tells WFAA-TV that he will show up to Dallas, Texas to answer for any charges.
“They can charge me with whatever. I will show up,” Shamrock said (via Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie). “It is what it is. I’m not hiding in any way. It’s an unfortunate and terrible thing. I’m an animal lover and I ran away crying. … It’s an old dog – no one wants a 6 1/2, 7-year-old dog with a goofy hip.”
WFAA-TV also reports that Shamrock was in Dallas to help his mother move and was actively seeking a home for her two dogs. One dog was adopted, but Zelda wasn’t and Shamrock was apparently unsuccessful at getting the dog a home in the shelter.
The former fighter did also try eliciting help for Zelda via Facebook:
In an attempt to defend his actions, one thing Shamrock believes is that Zelda finally did get help because the fighter left the dog tied to the truck.
“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,” Shamrock said.
A short time after WFAA-TV released their story, an angry Shamrock would take to Instagram, to call the report fake news:
