Avon police said Monday they are working with a Florida police department to locate the owner of a dog who caused a social media uproar when she posted a photo of the animal with its mouth taped shut.
Just before 10 a.m. Friday, a woman named Katie Brown posted the photo with the caption, “This is what happens when you dont shut up!!!” The photo quickly went viral. In a span of about 32 hours, it had been shared more than 288,000 times.
After some people criticized Brown, she posted a comment: “Dont panic everyone it was only for a minute but hasnt barked since … POINT MADE!!!”
Brown listed her town of residence as South Daytona, Fla., but she has ties to Connecticut, including family in Avon. Her Facebook page states that she attended Central Connecticut State University.
Police in Avon said they had received a flood of calls urging them to investigate Brown. Police went to an address in town associated with Brown’s family and determined the incident had not taken place there. “We made contact with the occupant of the home who verified that the person of interest and the dog both reside in Florida,” Avon police Chief Mark Rinaldo said in a press release. “We have notified Florida authorities.”
Rinaldo made a plea for the public to cease calling about the case. “The Avon police dispatch center has been inundated with calls from concerned citizens,” he said. “While we share your concern with the abuse of animals, we want to assure all concerned individuals that we have fully investigated this case.”
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