Holly MatkinBoise, ID – An Idaho woman is facing a potential animal abuse charge after a video that showed her repeatedly punching a dog in the head with boxing gloves surfaced online (video below).
The original video was shared on Facebook late Sunday night, and quickly went viral, the Idaho Statesman reported.
The woman in the video, who has since been identified as London Miner, was squared off with a German shepherd at the start of the clip, according to Heavy.com.
“We’re boxing animals,” a male off-camera announced. “Where’s Sarah McLachlan?”
McLachlan, a well-known singer and staunch animal rights activist, has participated in numerous commercials aimed at combating animal abuse, Heavy.com reported.
Miner repeatedly punched the dog in the face, delivering at least one blow that caused the dog to yelp in pain, the video showed.
“I hit him so hard!” she said at one point, as the male off-camera laughed. “I felt that!”
One social media user posted screenshots of a series of messages with Miner in which she defended having repeatedly slugged her dog in the head, The New Zealand Herald reported.
“That’s my dog. He plays hard,” one message read. “A girl gunna hit him a little bit and you guys wanna press some girl hitting him with gloves…Never got hurt and was playing the entire time. I’d never let my dog get hurt.”
“I do what I want with my dog,” another text read. “He thinks it’s a game…He’s literally laying with me in bed.”
Miner’s father, Ada County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Aaron Miner, defended his daughter’s actions in a Facebook comment, Heavy.com reported.
“Dog is good. [London] is getting threatened like you wouldn’t believe,” Deputy Miner wrote. “That dog beats the crap out of our dogs and they all play much harder than that. It’s very silly. But now we are all dealing with people threatening to come to my house and ‘cut’ [and] ‘f–k her up.’”
The Idaho Humane Society opened an investigation into the incident on Monday after their office was inundated with reports about the video, the nonprofit organization said in a Facebook post.
“The individual was identified and we sent a Humane Officer to discuss the situation,” the Idaho Humane Society said. “The investigation is currently pending review at the local prosecutor’s office for a charging decision.”
In a follow-up post on Wednesday, the group explained that the dog had not been removed because it was not in “imminent danger” at the time of the investigation.
“No matter the sentiments involved, we have to follow the law,” the Humane Society said. “[The case] is at the prosecutor’s office.”
The charge associated with “beating and harassing animals” is punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $5,000 in fines, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content: