SOUTH DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Police in both Connecticut and Florida are investigating the circumstances surrounding a photo of a dog with its mouth wrapped in duct-tape that was posted on Facebook Friday morning.
The photo was posted on a Facebook account under the name of “Katie Brown” and was accompanied with the caption, “This is what happens when you dont shut up!!!”
The photo has since gone viral on social media over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and sparked a flood of phone calls to police in three cities spanning two states where the woman was believed to be located.
Because the city listed on Brown’s Facebook page was South Daytona, Florida, police in that city were the first to investigate the incident. Their investigation was able to confirm with one of Brown’s family members that she had not lived in South Daytona for about one-and-a-half years, even though her Facebook account still showed the South Daytona location.
South Daytona police said in a statement on Saturday that the incident “appears to have occurred in Avon, CT where she currently lives, although the address posted by many people is not her current address.” Because South Daytona lacks jurisdiction over the matter, the investigation has since been turned over to authorities in the Town of Avon, Connecticut. South Daytona police believe the dog is O.K. and that Brown was in transit for the holiday weekend.
Another city which received complaints about the photo was Torrington, Connecticut, which is located approximately 30 miles west of Avon. This prompted the Torrington Police Department to issue the following statement:
“In regards to the dog that was photographed with it’s snout duct taped shut, the Torrington Police would like everyone to know that this incident did not happen within city limits. You are reminded that people post thin[g]s without all the facts and not everything posted on the internet is necessarily true/accurate.”
