Viral social media videos bring out East Bay animal control, dogs taken

Viral social media videos last week led East Bay animal control authorities to take dogs into custody from owners in Contra Costa and Alameda counties as part of their investigations.

Authorities emphasized that the investigations remain active and that the fact they’ve taken the dogs into custody doesn’t mean they’ll remain in custody. They are investigating whether the dogs were being abused.

In Fremont, police and animal service officers took a dog into custody Friday after investigating reports on social media and to them. According to police, video showed the dog’s owner hitting the dog.

Authorities placed that dog into the Tri-County Animal Shelter and scheduled an examination by a veterinarian.

The situation Contra Costa County was strikingly similar. A video of an owner hitting a dog in Richmond circulated on social media, as well, and that combined with reports of it to police led to the investigation by Contra Costa County Animal Services Department.

Richmond police said they were made aware of the reports, too. In a statement March 24, the department said the investigating officers determined that the Pug “was not injured and had food, water, and shelter.” Police added that their investigation showed the owner’s actions “did not rise to the level of criminal conduct.”

Contra Costa Animal Services spokesperson Steve Burdo said that no part of the animal services investigation has determined criminal behavior and emphasized that investigators are still probing and have not concluded anything.

“It’s part of the process,” he said. “There haven’t been any charges filed, and we won’t know until the investigation is over whether any are warranted.”

Burdo said a hearing determined that veterinarian records and other factors were needed to advance the investigation. Those factors led to authorities taking the dog into custody, he said.