A Florida woman captured on video kicking a dog and choking it multiple times by pulling on a leash has been arrested on suspicion of felony animal cruelty, police said.
The video shot Friday was posted to Facebook by concerned citizen Vincent Minutello and has racked up nearly 3,000 comments. A man’s voice can be heard admonishing the woman not to treat the dog that way.
“You’re choking him,” the man’s voice says. “You’re hanging your dog.”
“I’m not hanging him,” the woman on the video says.
Michelle A. Sieber, 26, was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail, according to booking information from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Seiber is the daughter of Rea Sieber, a Tarpon Springs city commissioner, and lives in an RV often parked behind her mother’s wine shop, NBC News affiliate WFLA of Tampa reported.
Tarpon Springs police said they arrested Michelle Seiber on Friday in nearby Clearwater after being contacted by Minutello and viewing the video.
“The suspect is apparently transient and resides in her camper type vehicle with two dogs,” Sgt. Robert Faugno said in a statement.
Police said Minutello also claimed his girlfriend saw the suspect throw the dog aggressively into her vehicle Thursday night. Michelle Seiber owned two dogs, which were seized and transferred to animal control officials, they said.