Three teens from Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana have been arrested in connection with a viral video of dog abuse.
On July 27, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) revealed on a Facebook post that they were made aware of a video that was circulating online showing a boy abusing a dog during a hunting trip.
“It was evident a second individual was recording the crime and a third individual was present as well, neither intervening on the dog’s behalf,” they explain.
Upon investigation, detectives found that the abuse occurred in Manchac, Louisiana early 2023 and the teenagers were from the Ponchatoula area.
TPSO revealed that the perpetrators were three 15-year-old teenagers. They also revealed, “One 15-year-old boy was arrested on one count of Animal Cruelty. The other two 15-year-old boys were each arrested on one count of Principal to Animal Cruelty.”
TPSO said, “The dog in the video was also located and assessed. The dog, at this time, was found to be in healthy condition and of a happy disposition.”
In the video, the teen can be seen punching the dog repeatedly while trying to train it to retrieve ducks in water.
After the video went viral, a petition to remove the dog, found to be a Labrador Retriever, from the suspect’s home was created. The petition was considered a success with a total of 114,517 signatures.
In a follow-up statement, TPSO revealed that since the arrest of the teenagers, they have been coordinating with numerous animal welfare and legal experts “regarding potential additional actions pertaining to the welfare of the dog.”
However, with the suspect’s family cooperation, they’ve led to an agreement to surrender the dog so it can be rehomed.
“The dog is scheduled to receive a full medical evaluation prior to that rehoming,” TPSO wrote in the update. “The Tangipahoa Parish Animal Services office is coordinating the rehoming and no assistance from the public is needed for that process at this time.”
The suspect’s family also said thru TSPO that they are beyond devastated about the whole situation involving their son and their dog.
They explained, “Because we love our son, we are committed to ensuring that he learns appropriately from this experience through accountability measures in the court system and at home.”
“And because we love our dog, we are committed to ensuring it has a home where it is safe,” the family added.
Director of Animal Control, Chip Fitz, said, “At Animal Services, our goal is to make sure that all necessary actions are taken in order to prevent any abuse.”
“At the same time, we must make sure the outcomes of any of those actions are good for all animals involved.”
