Dog Owner Gets Probation For Viral Duct Tape Photo

Once again, the internet has helped to prove that animal cruelty is no joke — and the law agrees. Back in November, a Florida woman posted a photo to Facebook showing her dog with his mouth duct-taped close. Now, according to the Los Angeles Times, she's been sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation. "This is what happens when you don’t shut up!!!" Katharine Lemansky captioned the photo, which was shared over 300,000 times before she took it down. Lemanski took the photo while visiting Cary, NC, and told officers that she only left the tape on her dog, Brown, for 15 to 20 seconds. She said she hadn't meant to make it public, but posted it to the wrong site. "Don’t panic everyone it was only for a minute but hasn’t barked since...POINT MADE!!!" Lemansky commented on her photo. But police were concerned with the way the photo made it seem like Brown's muzzle was swollen around the tape. Officers Rachel Williams and Shelly Smith testified that when they visited Lemansky and her two dogs, they seemed otherwise well cared for. The pets remain in Lemansky's care.