A disturbing case of animal cruelty has Tybee Island police searching for two men after one was captured on video allegedly strangling a dog with its leash at a local dog park on Saturday. The incident, which occurred on April 5, was reported by a witness who confronted the men before they fled the scene.
What We Know: The witness told police they observed a man lift a dog over a fence and suspend it by its leash for approximately seven seconds while the animal yelped and struggled to breathe. When confronted, the man allegedly broke two fence slats to create a hole, pulled the dog through it, and quickly left with his companion.
The men gathered four other dogs they had with them, loaded all five animals into a large white utility van, and drove away from the park.
The witness provided cell phone video footage to responding officers, which police are now using to identify the suspects.
The Video:
What We Don’t Know: Police have not released information about the condition of the dog or whether they believe this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern of abuse. It’s unclear if the men are local residents or visitors to Tybee Island.
Authorities have not shared whether they have any leads on the identity of the suspects or the license plate number of the vehicle.
In Context: Animal cruelty is a serious offense in Georgia. Under state law, aggravated animal cruelty is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $15,000.
Take Action: Anyone with information about the identity of these men or the white utility van is urged to contact the Tybee Island Police Department at (912) 786-5600 or email Detective Erica Coreno at ecoreno@cityoftybee.gov.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
