A Morgantown man was arrested after a video appearing to show him choking a dog came to the attention of law enforcement.
Jesse Workman, 23, is charged with felony cruelty to animals.
The Morgantown Police Department was made aware of the video Thursday. Officers were able to identify Workman as the man in it, according to a press release Friday.
The department also determined the incident took place in February and used that information to obtain a seizure and removal notice for the dog, it said.
“In the video, Workman can be seen pinning down and apparently strangling the puppy both with his hands and with the dog’s collar,” a criminal complaint said.
Workman gave the dog, a Dalmatian named Luna, to the Monongalia County Dog Warden, the MPD said.
Workman was arrested, charged and arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court, where bond was set at $15,000.
As of Friday afternoon, that bond was posted.
An employee of the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center confirmed Luna was at the shelter but could not release additional information.
The Dominion Post was unable to find the video, which supposedly circulated on Facebook on Thursday.
Videos and pictures depicting animal abuse violate Facebook’s terms of service, and it is possible the video has been removed.
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