Police in North Carolina have charged a woman with animal cruelty after a photo she posted on Facebook showed a dog with its mouth wrapped with duct tape and the caption "This is what happens when you don't shut up."
The photo was posted Friday by a woman listed on Facebook as Katie Brown of South Daytona, Florida, but police in Cary, N.C., identified the woman as Katharine F. Lemansky, 45.
- PREVIOUS STORY: Facebook post prompts animal cruelty investigation
Cary police said South Daytona police contacted them regarding the photo and the possibility that Lemansky was in North Carolina.
Family members reportedly told officials in South Daytona that Lemansky had not lived there for about a year and a half. Detectives then contacted police in Avon, Connecticut, who also said Lemansky no longer lived there.
Lemansky was eventually tracked down to a location in Cary, where police said she admitted the photo was taken there.
Police charged Lemansky with one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty, which carries a fine and up to 150 days in jail. Lemansky is scheduled to appear in court in Wake County, N.C., on Monday, Dec. 14.
"Taping the dog's muzzle shut was a terrible decision on Ms. Lemansky's part, and charging her with animal cruelty under North Carolina law was the right thing to do," said Cary police Capt. Randall Rhyne said in a statement released Monday.
Rhyne said the dog, named Brown — which likely explains Lemansky's profile name on Facebook — could not be removed from the home. A physical examination found the dog to be in good health, and there were no signs of injury or even hair loss to Brown's muzzle.