CMPD launches an investigation after video shows man hitting dog

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Police are investigating a what appears to be animal abuse caught on video in a Charlotte neighborhood. The surveillance video shows a man who appears to physically abuse a small dog in the backseat of his car.

The video was shared with police and posted on several blog sites that shows a man who appears to beat a dog on camera.

“I don’t think that should be happening anywhere and definitely not in our neighborhood,” Eric Harvey, Plaza Midwood Resident said.

The video shows the man stops his grey Toyota Corolla in a parking lot behind Midwood Smokehouse off Central Avenue. The video shows him remove his shoe and hit the dog multiple times and you can see the car shaking from the force of the blows.

“I feel like you, as the owner, you’re responsible to train your animal and to have it disciplined a certain way. But, like, not that way. Should never be putting your hands on anyone and especially not an animal as well,” Harvey said.

At one point, you can see the small dog outside of the car when the man appears to kick the dog multiple times.

The time stamp on the video says it happened Thursday, March 13th just before 7pm. Toward the end of the video, you can hear people in the neighborhood telling the man to stop hitting the but he argues back and even threatens them.

“I don’t support animal violence at all, so I think there’s just no reason to be doing that. There definitely should be some sort of, uh, repercussions for that,” Harvey said.

CMPD Animal Care and Control confirmed there is an active investigation, but didn’t release further details about the suspect or the dog.