Brooklyn couple's dog-abuse video prompts NYPD probe

"According to News 12 Brooklyn, the clip appears to show the pair striking and roughly handling the animal in full view of people on the street. Both the NYPD and the ASPCA have now launched investigations, after the footage, first reported by News 12's Kelly Kennedy, ricocheted through the neighborhood and beyond."

"Under NYC.gov guidance, local precincts typically pass serious cruelty complaints to the NYPD's Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, which can partner with the ASPCA for veterinary forensics and medical care when an animal is seized. That joint approach, used in several recent high profile cruelty cases, is now part of the response in this East Williamsburg review."

"In January, the Queens District Attorney charged a man after video showed him tying two dogs to a car and dragging them through Long Island City. In that case, prosecutors and the ASPCA moved quickly after the clip surfaced, and the January arraignment became another example of how social video can speed up law enforcement action and medical treatment for animals."

A video circulating on social media Wednesday shows a Brooklyn couple allegedly abusing a dog on an East Williamsburg sidewalk, prompting investigations by both NYPD and ASPCA. Under NYC protocol, serious animal cruelty complaints are directed to the NYPD's Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, which collaborates with ASPCA for veterinary forensics and medical care. Residents expressed outrage at the public abuse, and animal advocates renewed calls for faster responses to documented cruelty. This case mirrors a January incident where video evidence of dogs being dragged behind a car led to rapid prosecution. New York State law allows aggravated animal cruelty to be charged as a felony when serious physical injury or especially depraved conduct is involved.

Read at Hoodline