A 4-year-old dog seen in a social media video being struck repeatedly by its owner has been taken into the care of San Antonio Animal Care Services as investigators consider whether to pursue animal cruelty charges.
Duke, a Belgian Malinois mix, was taken from a home in the New Territories subdivision on the Northwest Side on Wednesday, after investigators obtained a judge’s permission, the agency said.
The incident shown in the video occurred Sept. 28 in the driveway of a home in the 8000 block of Cloud Trails, according to Animal Care Services.
Home security footage shows a 53-year-old woman striking Duke on his back and face, the agency said. The dog had no immediately obvious injuries and was receiving a veterinary examination.
READ ALSO: San Antonio firefighter suspended after positive marijuana test, disciplinary records show
Animal Care Services said the footage had circulated on social media for several days before anyone reported it to authorities.
News 4 San Antonio reported Oct. 2 that the agency was asking the public to help identify the woman and locate the dog. The station’s report described surveillance footage showing a woman hitting and kicking a dog in the driveway.
Investigators identified a person of interest within days of receiving a report, after interviewing witnesses and canvassing the neighborhood, Animal Care Services said. The woman has cooperated with investigators and expressed remorse, the agency said.
A municipal court custody hearing is expected within 10 days to determine whether Duke will remain in Animal Care Services’ care. The agency said it will decide whether to pursue criminal charges after the court rules. The investigation is ongoing.
Subscribe
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at San Antonio Animal Care Services takes dog in viral video into custody.