A disturbing video of a dog being kicked while walked on a Sault Ste. Marie street that was briefly posted on social media has not resulted in any reports to police or the provincial authority that investigates animal cruelty.
The security camera video, which was posted on a local Facebook group, showed a man walking a small dog along the street and kicking it twice when it slowed during the walk.
After amassing more than 90,000 views, the video was removed, according to the man who originally posted it. He said the video was not his and declined to comment for this story.
Ashley Edmond also shared the video to Facebook before it was removed.
"I felt sick to my stomach after watching it, and in that moment, I wanted to do everything I could to help that dog," Edmond told SooToday.
She added: "As an animal lover it's hard to understand how someone could do that to their pet, when all they want is to be loved."
SooToday reached out to the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) to ask if the incident had been reported. Both organizations said it had not.
"We do not have a call for service regarding this incident," said Lincoln Louttit, manager of corporate communications for the Sault Police.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Solicitor General told SooToday the incident had not been reported to PAWS, which investigates animal abuse allegations in Ontario.
Asked what a person should do if they witness alleged animal abuse, Louttit said those incidents should be reported to police.