Police officers in Texas have identified a teenage girl as the suspect who allegedly put a small dog in a clothes dryer and turned the machine on. The undoubtedly dizzy dog was evaluated by a vet on Aug. 13, according to police.
Earlier this week, authorities were seeking the culprit. A graphic video posted to Instagram shows someone putting the dog into the dryer.
“DPD officers met with our investigators and provided all of the information they gathered in this case. Through their diligent work, DPD identified the individual involved. We will not publicly identify her as she is a minor,” the Lewisville Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.
Police said the case is under investigation as a “cruelty to non-livestock animals” crime.
In the video, a girl can be heard saying: “I’m gonna put this [expletive] back in the dryer.”
The girl in the video then picks up a dog that appears to be a small Shih Tzu and places it inside the dryer. She then turns on the machine and laughs while clapping, as the little dog tumbles for around six seconds before she reopens the door.
“He like that [expletive],” she can be heard saying while laughing hysterically.
After the door is opened, the dog quickly struggles out of the area looking quite disturbed from the experience.
One Twitter user who viewed the footage reposted it to Twitter and asked anyone who knew her to report the case to the police.
“There’s nothing funny about this, and I’m sure the Dallas police department will do something about her. I hope that dog will have a safer home.”
After authorities located the teen suspect, the Lewisville Police Department announced that a vet had evaluated the dog.
“Further investigation into the dog’s physical condition continues. We are awaiting the veterinarian’s report before releasing any information on the dog’s condition.
“Once the investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Denton County District Attorney for any prosecution,” the post read.
It is unclear who the “rightful owner” of the dog is. Multiple people have commented on the post asking the Lewisville PD for further clarification and expressed anxiety at the prospect of the dog being handed back to the girl or possibly her parents.
The Humane Society, a non-profit dedicated to resolving animal welfare problems, says the animals most often reported as abused are dogs, cats, horses, and livestock.
Intentional cruelty to animals strongly correlates with other crimes, which include violence against people. The Humane Society says that surveys have suggested that those who intentionally abuse animals are mainly men under 30.
Besides intentional cruelty, there are also other forms of abuse. Hoarding animals is one such form, where a person houses far more animals than they can take care of—resulting in severe animal neglect. In such cases, those responsible—often women over 60, according to surveys—may require social or mental health services, the society says.
Fifty states across the U.S. currently have laws that prevent cruelty against animals. However, if animals get tortured across state lines, there is little to protect them.
With the proposed bill, authorities will have federal jurisdiction to go after the culprits. They will also be able to prosecute those who engage in acts of cruelty on federal property.
