(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)
We have also provided an update on this story below, towards the bottom of this page.
A woman in Bakersfield, California was caught on surveillance video riding at least 15 mph on an electric scooter, dragging a dog behind her on a leash until his paws bled.
The surveillance system that captured the horrific scene belonged to James Dowell, who posted the video on his Facebook page. The video quickly went viral, causing an uproar from people all over the country.
The woman stopped her scooter when she was confronted by two cyclists, one of whom was Brandon Sanders. Sanders described the incident and confrontation on his Facebook page, saying he watched the woman drag the dog, who was lying on his side, at least 100 yards.
Sanders followed the woman all the way back to an apartment and confronted her. She responded with “Sh*t happens, just like with kids!” Then she posed for a picture, sporting a big smile while holding the bloody dog.
She then told Sanders that she was going to call the police on him for harassment, but Sanders called the police first.
The little mixed-breed pup, named Zebra, was picked up by Animal Control Services and has received medical attention for his injuries. He’s expected to make a full recovery.
Upon further investigation, the Bakersfield police learned that the woman in the video is not the owner of the dog. With that being said, Zebra will remain in the care of the legal owner.
According to Bakersfield Now, the woman with the scooter has hired an attorney who issued a statement:
“We have been 100% cooperative with the Bakersfield Police Department and their investigation. My client loves animals, especially Zebra, the dog who was shown in the video. We are confident that once law enforcement has concluded their investigation that this will be ruled an isolated incident. The dog is doing great and expected to have a full and short recovery.”
The police are continuing to investigate the incident, and will not release the identity of the woman during an open investigation.
Sanders hopes his post will bring awareness to others about these types of actions. “We need to be more aware of what we expose our pets to and do our best to always keep them safe,” he wrote.
After viewing video, we have provided the latest update on this story here: UPDATE
