Police in Almaty are investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing a woman throwing her dog at a passerby during a conflict, according to infohub.kz.
According to the Telegram channel "Criminal Kazakhstan," passengers on bus No. 52 in Almaty filmed a woman who was mistreating a dog, swearing and commanding it to "attack."
Later, according to witnesses, she began choking and kicking the dog on the street. Bystanders reportedly tried to intervene, at which point the woman began throwing the animal at them. The passersby were eventually able to take the animal away.
"Several young men took the dog from the woman. They fed it, took it to a veterinarian and are now looking for a new home for the animal," the post said.
The press service of the Almaty Police Department told a NUR.KZ correspondent that officers from the Auezov district are conducting an investigation into the video circulating on social media.
"The footage shows the actions of a woman who used a dog she was holding in her arms during a conflict with a passerby. In this regard, the identities of those involved and all circumstances of the incident are being established, including actions taken against the animal," the department said.
Based on the results of the investigation, a principled legal assessment will be given to the woman's actions and an appropriate procedural decision will be made, law enforcement officials promised.
"Such treatment of animals is unacceptable. Every person is obliged to treat them humanely and responsibly, avoiding actions that could cause them suffering or harm," police urged.
Warning: the video contains obscene language!