An icy pond in the cold winter months is no place for a dog to be found, but two men from Elwood, Nebraska thought otherwise.
The Gosper County Sheriff’s Office reports that 28-year-old James Pollock and 19-year-old Austin Vanburen have been charged with animal cruelty.
It all started when the sheriff’s office began getting phone calls about a video making its rounds on social media.
The video featured Pollock throwing a one-year-old Labrador Retriever onto a frozen lake. The dog is seen landing on his back and breaking through the ice.
Source: Justin Kauffman/Unsplash
Although the dog swam back to shore, Pollock and Vanburen repeated the cruel act two more times. It is believed Vanburen taped the abuse but told investigators he threw the dog once onto the frozen water.
The dog belonged to Pollock but has since been removed from his care and is being housed at an area shelter. After being examined by a veterinarian, no injuries were sustained.
Source: Mason Hassoun/Unsplash
Both men will face arraignment soon. We are grateful this dog survived and is no longer in the care of abusers.
