A woman punched her dog in the face while boxing and it sparked an investigation
By Distractify StaffMay 8 2020, Updated 10:21 a.m. ET
While oversharing on social media is something that many of us are guilty of, there are certain instances when trying to get attention online goes way too far.
An Idaho woman is under investigation for animal abuse after a Snapchat video was posted of her punching a dog repeatedly. In the now-viral video, the woman wore boxing gloves and she hit the German Shepherd multiple times in the face.
While the woman and the male who filmed the video were joking around, many were concerned for the dog's well-being. It was later confirmed that an investigation is underway, and that officials are in the process of determining if the dog is living in a safe environment.
What happened in the dog boxing Snapchat? Find out what happened in the viral video below.
What happened in the dog boxing Snapchat?
The identity of the woman featured in the video has not been officially been confirmed, though many users have been sharing one name in particular online. According to multiple sources, the person featured in the video is a minor.
It has been confirmed that she is a resident of Eagle, Idaho. The video, which was originally filmed on Snapchat, was shared to Facebook sometime over during the first weekend of May.
It was shared and re-posted hundreds of times, and the comments section was flooded with users who were concerned about the welfare of the dog in the video.
Viewers were alarmed because the woman (who wore black boxing gloves in the video) punched the German Shepherd around ten times at seemingly full force. While the man filming it clearly thought the interaction was humorous, the woman eventually acknowledged that she was hurting the dog.
"We're boxing animals," the man behind the camera can be heard saying in the background. "Where's Sarah McLachlan?"
The Sarah McLachlan comment is regarding the singer's work with the ASPCA over neglected and abused dogs.
Toward the end of the video, the woman realized that she was hurting the dog after it began to cry.
"I hit him so hard I felt that through —" she began to say before the video cut out.
The woman in the video is under investigation for animal cruelty.
Within a few days of the video's circulation on Facebook, the Idaho Humane Society confirmed that the woman in the video was being looked at. The post stated that the woman might be charged with beating and harassing an animal.
"There is a video circulating through social media which we will not repost due to its content which originated in the Treasure Valley. It has been shared through many social media networks and our Animal Care and Control office is receiving an overwhelming number of phone calls and emails," the post stated.
"We started an official investigation as a result of this video. This morning the individual was identified and we sent a Humane Officer to discuss the situation. The investigation is currently pending review at the local prosecutor’s office for a charging decision," the IHS continued.
"The statute the prosecutor may decide to cite with is: 25-3518. BEATING AND HARASSING ANIMALS. Every person who cruelly whips, beats or otherwise maliciously treats any animal, or maliciously harasses with a dog any cattle, horses, sheep, hogs or other livestock shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction, be punished in accordance with section 25-3520A, Idaho Code," the statement read.
The post concluded with a request to the public to stop reaching out about the video.
It's unclear at this time whether the woman has been charged with any crime related to abusing the dog in the video, or what the result of the Idaho Humane Society investigation is.