CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. — A K-9 handler with the Campbell County Sheriff's Office was put on leave after a years-old video was shared online showing a dog possibly being mistreated while it was being trained.
The video shows a deputy training with a large dog, walking by another man on training grounds. It was not immediately clear what the training was specifically for, but as the dog passes the other man, the dog's attention turned toward him.
Almost immediately, the deputy yanks the dog back. The dog is heard yelping as the deputy reels back to yank the leash again. The dog then screams as the deputy hoists it up onto its hind legs.
The yelping and screaming continue for a moment until the dog is lifted into the air and off its hind legs. It then goes silent and is swung to the other side of the deputy. As the deputy appears to turn towards the camera, the video ends and the device points down to the ground.
In the exercise, CCSO said the dog is given a series of "corrections." They said the video is at least 3 years old but could be older than that.
They also said that the video was posted from a "fake Facebook account" created in the last 24 hours and they suspected that the person who shared it was politically motivated, given the upcoming election.
“It is my job to keep everyone in this county safe - from my neighbors to their dogs,” said Sheriff Robbie Goins. “If animal abuse is happening within our office or in our community, we will seek justice to the fullest extent of the law."
The sheriff's office also said the K-9 was given a clean bill of health by its veterinarian, with no signs of abuse or neglect.