Man Dangles Gog From Balcony, Faces Fines and Possible Jail Time for Cruelty
A man in South Carolina is facing fines and possible jail time after he dangled his parent's dog off a balcony in order for the dog to pee. He explained his actions away, saying it was raining too hard to take the dog outside.
Tyler Smith, 23, of Greenville was photographed using a harness and rope to lower the small dog to the ground and then pull it back up once it finished its business from the second story of his apartment.
Needless to say the photograph of the dog hanging outside the building went viral as it made the rounds on social media. Comments flooded in denouncing the actions of the young man and calling for a severe punishment to be levied.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Heather Vincelette says she discovered the photo on Facebook and began sharing it.
"I actually posted it on Spartanburg Animal Services, with the question is this legal?" Vincelette told News 13.
Before the internet backlash, neighbors who witnessed the act contacted local authorities and animal control personnel worried the animal by have been abused.
Greenville police stated that they had received numerous calls over the weekend by concerned members of the public revealing they had seen the dog dangling from a leash.
In response to the outcry animal control officers visited the property on Sunday. Smith told animal control officers that the dog was actually his parents' and he was just watching it while they were gone.
Smith was charged with violating a city ordinance and faces a $1,000 fine and 30 days in prison if convicted, according to GoUpstate.com.
"Saturday it was raining really hard during that time period and we believe he was doing it to let it use the bathroom," Officer Jonathan Bragg told ABC News.
Local reports stated that the dog was not injured in the incident.
