Katharine Lemansky, from Cary, North Carolina, posted the photo on her Facebook page on Friday, alongside a caption which read: “This is what happens when you don’t shut up!!!”
The original post was later taken down, but not before it was shared hundreds of thousands of times on the social media site and generated angry comments from people concerned about the welfare of the dog – which is called Brown.
Police have tracked down and charged the woman who posted a Facebook photo showing her dog’s muzzle duct-taped shut.
Katharine F. Lemansky, 45, was charged on Monday in Cary, North Carolina where she admitted the incident with her chocolate Labrador-mix named Brown occurred, Town of Cary police said.
Lemansky, who police said is listed on Facebook as Katie Brown of South Daytona, Florida, has been charged with one count of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.’Taping the dog’s muzzle shut was a terrible decision on Ms. Lemansky’s part, and charging her with animal cruelty under North Carolina law was the right thing to do,’ Cary Police Captain Randall Rhyne said.
Rhyne noted that it was also important to note that animal control officers who physically examined the dog and her litter mates found them all to be very well cared for, which is why they ‘did not and could not remove them from the owner’.
‘The dogs are currently on their shots, spayed, and microchipped,’ he said.
‘They are clean and well-nourished and appear to be comfortable in their surroundings.
‘And there were no signs of injury to Brown’s muzzle, not even detectable hair loss.’
Lemanksy prompted a public outcry and a flood of messages were reportedly sent to local officials from thousands of people after she posted the picture of her dog on Friday.
South Daytona Police chief Ron Wright said people on Facebook were even making death threats.
She wrote: “Don’t panic everyone it was only for a minute but hasn’t barked since … POINT MADE!!!”
On Saturday, she added: “I don’t know what a****** did thr b******* of posting my truck on line… When I figure it out you are done!!!!”
Lemansky will appear in court on 14 December. She faces up to 150 days in jail.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.