Three days and four police agencies later, the woman the woman who took a photo of her chocolate lab mix’s muzzle duct-taped shut has been found and charged with animal cruelty in Cary, North Carolina.
Katharine F. Lemansky, whose Facebook profile lists her name as Katie Brown, posted the image on Facebook, accompanied by the message, “This is what happens when you dont (sic) shut up!!!”
An Internet firestorm followed. But while her image was all across the web, officers were unable to track her down. It was reported that she was residing in Daytona Beach, Florida; Avon, Connecticut; Torrington, Connecticut and on a road trip. It is unclear how they discovered her in Cary.
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“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,” Cary Police Captain Randall Rhyne said in a news release.
Law enforcement agencies did not remove the dog.
“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,” said Rhyne. “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.”
She will appear in Wake County court on Dec. 14 and could face up to 150 days in jail and a fine.
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