A North Carolina dog owner has been found guilty of animal cruelty this week after apparently posting photos of her dog with duct tape over her mouth.
Kimberly Ann Howell, 25, was sentenced to 18 months probation as well as community service after photos appeared on her Facebook page in September. Howell said the dog was duct taped to stop it from biting her child and had removed the tape after snapping the photos.
It’s the second such incident that has come out in recent weeks. Both times the photos were posted on Facebook and sparked outrage from the public.
In late November, Katharine F. Lemansky aka Katie Brown on Facebook, admitted she posted a picture of her chocolate lab with its mouth taped shut on her social media page.
Lemansky was charged with animal cruelty last week.
She had posted the photo, allegedly, with the words: “This is what happens when you don’t shut up!”
According to the petition hub post urging prosecutors to convict Lemansky, the woman’s friends weren’t happy with the picture and let her know it.
“Get that off of her right now!” one friend wrote, while another said, “Not how you give a dog time out! If you can’t handle them, someone else will love them and give them the love they deserve … Katie I never want to see you be cruel to them again! Or I’ll report it!”
“I am completely disgusted and offended that you would even have any thought to do this to a helpless beautiful animal, ” another friend wrote. “The fact that the thought even crossed your mind is unsettling.”
“I cant lie, i did it for sixty seconds, ” Brown responded. “It was time out and no more barking.”
Brown defended herself on her Facebook page. “Don’t panic everyone, it was only for a minute but (the dog) hasn’t barked since … POINT MADE!!!, ” she posted.
