SOUTH HOUSTON, Texas – A woman who recorded video of a man appearing to grab and kick a dog is convinced she captured a clear-cut case of animal abuse on her cellphone, but police have declined to press charges against the man.
The incident happened on the 1400 block of Virginia Avenue.
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"I just videotaped it hoping we could get some help for them. That really is unacceptable behavior to treat a dog like that," Terry Rodriguez said.
The dog's owner, who wished to remain unnamed, has not been criminally charged in the incident. He said the video does not reveal the moments before the so-called abuse incident.
"Two dogs were attacking one dog. I pulled them off and picked one up by the shoulder blades. I made a kicking motion to get him away, I didn't touch him," the man said.
Rodriguez reported the incident to police, and on Friday an animal abuse investigator with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office watched the video, interviewed the man in the video and determined there was no criminal activity.
Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap's office released the following statement:
"Precinct 5 takes accusations of animal cruelty very seriously. We work everyday along side (our partners) the Houston Humane Society. We have full time deputies assigned to our Animal Cruelty Unit. Last year we investigated more than 896 cases leading to 129 criminal charges.
"In this particular case, investigators interviewed all parties involved and reviewed the video. They determined that the suspect did not 'beat the dog' and although he did make a kicking motion toward the dog with his foot, he did not make contact with the animal. Additionally, the animal was not displaying any indications that it was medical suffering from any injuries or medical issues."
