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Puppy pinata photo prompts police to investigate

Posted at 8:14 PM, Aug 21, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-21 22:28:12-04

SANDY, Utah – Animal rights advocates are upset after a man posted a picture of a small dog hanging from a ceiling, but police said the dog’s owner didn’t break any laws.

The picture, posted on Facebook, shows a dog hanging by a leash with a man standing next to it holding a stick. The image was captioned: “What we do for fun—puppy piñata lmao.” The image can be seen below or in the video above.

Officials with the Humane Society of Utah asked Sandy police to investigate after the photo was posted. Sgt. Jon Arnold of the Sandy Police Department said officers spoke with the dog’s owner and found the animal was not abused.

“The dog was attached with a harness around the torso, not around the neck,” Arnold said. “The dog was not choking. These were things they thought were funny. Unfortunately, not everyone finds the same things funny.”

The picture has since been removed from Facebook. The owner was not cited, but animal control officers warned the man that, while the dog was not hurt, the position it was in was not ideal for the dog.

Puppy pinata photo