Man charged after kicking dog on video
Police in East Goshen Township, Pa., filed an animal cruelty complaint after a resident captured the incident on camera.
By Bianca Herrera ·
One man in East Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, is facing a criminal charge after a video showed him kicking a dog while it was on the ground. The incident occurred at the Goshen Valley Apartments. Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police confirmed the man is being charged with animal cruelty.
Alexx Travaglini, a neighbor, recorded the footage. She said she heard yelling outside her window and looked out to see the man walking his dog. Travaglini had her phone ready because she had previously observed him acting aggressively toward the animal. She began recording when she saw the man approach the dog.
In the video, the dog lowers its body to the ground and pulls back on the leash. The man then kicks the dog while it is cowering. Travaglini said the dog’s reaction indicated it was accustomed to this type of behavior.
Tiffany Stair, co-founder of the animal rights nonprofit Revolution Philadelphia, saw the clip circulating online. She said the organization received the video from about a dozen people late Thursday night. Stair said the dog’s body language made it clear the animal was afraid of the man.
Stair contacted police after reviewing the footage. Within hours, the department posted on Facebook that the incident was under investigation. The police department stated that the charge is a summary offense. Because of this classification, officers cannot release the man's name to the public.
The summary offense allows for fines and potential jail time. Stair said she is concerned about the dog's current situation. She noted that the incident raises questions about the animal's daily life in that home.
Police said the investigation into the specific circumstances of the kick is ongoing. The man remains in the community pending further action on the summary charge.
