A sickening image shows a group of rioters mistreat an allegedly stolen puppy for a camera crew filming in Memphis, Tennessee, before the canine was reportedly killed.
In the footage, the puppy, allegedly stolen from a mill, was dangled around by the scruff of the neck and pressed overhead by one the rioters on film. Before stopping to show off the hound, the leash was clearly restricting the dog’s airflow.
As the man inappropriately lifted up the dog for the camera, he and other rioters threw symbols at the camera, while the puppy appeared to be visibly frightened.
https://twitter.com/litepimp/status/1268019328227532800
When the video initially appeared, a plea was made on the Kris Kelly Foundation Instagram account:
“MEMPHIS TN $500 REWARD to find this man at a protest on Beale Street.
A man at a protest shaking a harmless puppy by the neck to get attention. The poor puppy has no idea what’s happening & looked so scared.. I’m offering a $500 reward to the whereabouts of this puppy & the name of this man.”
According to further reports from the “non-profit vegan animal rescue organization’s” Instagram, “UPDATE: STOLEN FROM A RESCUE GROUP AND BROUGHT BACK DEAD!! I’m being told that the puppy was hung by a cable cord around his or her neck and on a fence. I do see a cable cord in the picture.”
Social media users were enraged by the disturbing footage and reports of the puppy’s demise.
A petition amassing thousands of signatures for the culprit’s arrest was also launched.
One person on Facebook commented: “This poor dog I feel so bad for it and I don’t know who the hell this b**** is laughing in the back but she needs to be shut down.”
“This is justice for George floyd guys,” sarcastically wrote another.
A third person asked: “Why didn’t the news people stop this?”
Violence against animals has been reported amid the violent George Floyd riots as a horse suffered a head injury when it was hit in the face by a brick over the weekend.
