A Southern California city will meet for a special council meeting Monday evening after a viral video showing a dog being dragged by the neck down the hallway of an animal shelter sparked outrage.
The 5 or 6-year-old dog named Mia is seen in the video struggling against her leash as a worker at the Hesperia Animal Shelter drags her down the hallway while others look on.
Mia's owner, Tracie Carpenter, said the pup escaped from her Hesperia home earlier this month. She saw the video on Facebook after a friend told her about it.
"The fact that there's three people in the video watching the dog being (dragged) by its neck all the way down the hallway — and nobody said anything — is beyond frustrating," Carpenter said.
Mia had escaped from home and was picked up after a few days by shelter workers, Carpenter said. A neighbor saw Mia get picked up, so Carpenter called the shelter, which kept the dog overnight so it could spay her. Mia was picked up on Friday, Feb. 12.
Hundreds commented on the video, outraged at the staff for ignoring that the dog was being dragged.
The Hesperia City Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday so residents can voice any concerns about the video.
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In a post on the Hesperia Animal Shelter's Facebook page last week, officials said city management is investigating what happened, and offered "our sincerest apologies."
"Shelter animals, as well as members of the community, deserve better and we vow to do better," the post said.
The city is encouraging anyone with concerns to email socialmedia@cityofhesperia.us.
Asher Klein contributed to this report.
