A woman in Idaho who reportedly posted a video on Snapchat of her punching a dog while wearing boxing gloves, is being investigated by an animal humane society and could face cruelty charges.
The Idaho Humane Society launched the case after a video of the woman punching her dog in the face while wearing boxing gloves blew up online.
In the video, a woman can be seen hitting the dog in the face repeatedly, and after one punch the animal yelps in pain.
“I hit him so hard I felt that through” the woman seemingly says in the video before the clip ends.
In an earlier clip, someone in the background appears to say: “we’re boxing animals. Where’s Sarah McLachlan?”
The singer previously performed in notable animal cruelty advertisements for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The Idaho Humane Society said they have launched an official investigation into the video after receiving an overwhelming number of phone calls and emails regarding the incident.
“This morning the individual was identified and we sent a Humane Officer to discuss the situation,” the society said in a Facebook post.
According to the society, the investigation is currently pending review and charging decision.
The person involved could possibly face animal cruelty charges according to the animal welfare organisation, for which they could face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison and as much as $5,000 in fines, The Idaho Statesman reported.
The organisation urged people to stop getting in touch about the clip as it is currently being dealt with and said continued calls “delays other urgent cases from receiving immediate attention”.
“The Idaho Humane Society works to protect all animals from abuse,” the society said in its statement.
“We also believe that because domestic animals are a product of human intervention, we have a very special obligation to them in regard to humane treatment and responsible stewardship.”
