A bonehead thought she was expressing some wit on Facebook the other day, but because she is a bonehead it was in reality animal cruelty. Here is what the woman going by the user name Katie Brown did: She put some duct tape around her dog’s snout, took a picture of it, and then posted it, writing: “This is what happens when you dont shut up!!!”
God, what a bonehead.
One minute later, overjoyed with herself but suspecting — in some tiny, still functioning corner of her brain — that she was in fact a lunatic animal abuser and had just broadcast that fact to the entire planet, Brown took steps to lessen the onrushing blowback in her own illiterate way, writing:
“Don’t panic everyone it was only for a minute but hasnt barked since…POINT MADE!!!”
It did not work. The blowback hit Brown square in the face, and she quickly disappeared from the Internet as her horrible photo was shared thousands of times. Soon, it landed on the desks of the South Daytona Beach police — again and again and again. According to NBC New York, the department had to bring in 20 percent of its off-duty force to handle the huge number of calls about the post. At one point, the department’s switchboard crashed, overwhelmed with outrage about our bonehead.
To its credit, the South Daytona Beach police quickly launched an investigation, determining that the woman did not in fact live in South Daytona Beach. Officers made contact with the woman’s son, who said she lived in Avon, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, Avon police dispatchers were bombarded with calls as well, and Avon police officers swung themselves into gear. They determined that the woman did not live in Avon anymore, and closed the case.
“While we share your concern with the abuse of animals we want to assure all concerned individuals that we have fully investigated this case,” Avon Police Chief Mark Rinaldo said.
Thus far, no authorities have been able to track down the woman, though her son did say that he talked to her and she told him she was driving back to Florida and that she had turned off her phone after she was getting bombarded with angry calls. Police also say that “Katie Brown” is not the legal name of the woman.
Meanwhile, as the police continue the investigation, authorities are letting the outraged public know that they are on the case by continuing to post regular updates to Facebook.
Here’s the latest, posted on the City of Daytona Facebook page:
Our Department continues to actively investigate this case. We have determined that Katie Brown’s real name is Katharine Lemansky. Because Lemansky owns property in both Florida and Connecticut, it is difficult to determine where she is actually living at this time. We continue to keep in contact with Connecticut authorities. The local property in South Daytona appears vacant and is currently under code enforcement action. At this time we do not know Lemansky’s location, but will continue to follow all leads. The Department has reached out to Lemansky’s family and friends and requested that if they have contact with her, that they urge her to bring the dog into the nearest police station so that the well-being of the animal can be determined. Once Lemansky and the dog have been located, the case will be reviewed and applicable charges as allowed by law will be filed. It is important for everyone to know that this case is a high priority and will be handled as would any other criminal investigation.
Updated: Katharine Lemansky has been found in the town of Cary, North Carolina, and was charged with one count of Class 1 Misdemeanor Cruelty to Animals, which carries a fine and possibly up to 150 days in jail, according to a press release. Cary Police sent Animal Control officers to investigate Lemansky within an hour after hearing from South Daytona Beach police about her photo. Fortunately, the dog and her littermate are in fine shape and are current on all shots; they are also spayed and microchipped. As a result, the dogs were left with Lemansky, but she must appear in court on Dec. 14.
According to the press release:
Taping the dog’s muzzle shut was a terrible decision on Ms. Lemansky’s part, and charging her with animal cruelty under North Carolina law was the right thing to do,” said Cary Police Captain Randall Rhyne. “At the same time, it’s important to also note that our animal control officers who physically examined both Brown and her littermate found the dogs to be very well cared for, which is why we did not and could not remove them from the owner. The dogs are current on their shots, spayed, and microchipped. They are clean and well-nourished and appear to be comfortable in their surroundings. And there were no signs of injury to Brown’s muzzle, not even detectable hair loss.
Via NBC New York
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