LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fayette County District Court Judge John L. Tackett found a Cynthiana man guilty of violating RCO40-2, a local animal care and treatment code, for an incident that occurred in October 2025.
A citation filed on Oct. 27, 2025 states that 54-year-old Jamie Ellington was traveling on New Circle Road in Lexington with his dog in his truck bed. The citation details that it was a rainy day in Kentucky and Ellington was driving at a fast pace.
"[The] dog was seen... running around the back, even on top of the vehicle," the citation states.
On Friday, Feb. 20, Ellington had a court trial, with the Lexington-Fayette County Animal Care & Control division as the complaining witness. Based on a photo taken by Lexington-Fayette County Animal Care & Control of Ellington's dog sitting on the top of his truck, Judge Tackett found Ellington guilty of the code violation.
In a Facebook post, Lexington-Fayette County Animal Care & Control recalls Friday's court hearing.
"Mr. Ellington admitted he knew the dog would anxiously jump onto the side rails, the toolbox, and even on top of the cab while the vehicle was moving. On the day our animal control officer observed the incident, the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed in the rain — creating a substantial risk of serious injury to the dog and danger to other motorists," the post writes.
According to a criminal docket filed by Fayette County District Court, Ellington was sentenced to a fine of $100.
