DUNLAP, Ill. (WMBD) — The owner of the German shepherd in a disturbing dog abuse video dated July 5 circulating around social media said she does not know how the footage got online.
In the graphic video, Nicholas Prince, 39, is shown repeatedly beating and punching 13-month-old Mika, a feisty German Shepherd who loves belly rubs, for nearly a minute.
“I did not see that video until this past Sunday. I did not know that’s what was going on when I ran down here that day and I heard her. I didn’t know that’s what was going on,” said Amanda Son, Mika’s owner and Prince’s ex-girlfriend.
Son said she was outside that day cleaning up a broken planter. She came inside and flew down the stairs when she heard Mika make noises. But she did not catch Prince beating Mika, nor were there any injuries.
“He wasn’t doing anything and the yelp stopped as soon as I got down… [I] looked her over… There was no blood in the basement, she did not show me any signs of injury, she did not whine when she walked, she didn’t limp when she walked, she didn’t do anything like that,” said Son, adding Prince continued to live in the house until July 31.
Son has cameras all over the house. She said the relationship with Prince was volatile, but he never laid hands on her, her children or pets.
“We’ve never had a physical fight. He’s never put his hands on me, never hit me, never hit my kids. Has he maybe broken something in my house, yes. But never physically hit me or my kids,” she said.
However, Son suspected Prince was stealing money, so she reviewed her monthly camera footage on July 31. That’s when she came across the dog abuse video from July 5.
“I only started reviewing the cameras after I caught Nicholas stealing from me. When I woke up Sunday morning and reviewed my cameras from the previous night and caught him going through my purse. That’s why I called the cops. I felt I had a reason. He got arrested,” she said.
The following day, Aug. 1, she filed and received an emergency protective order at the Peoria County Courthouse.
“There are about four or five reports that were things I had talked about, and one of them was regarding Mika,” she said.
Son said she shared the video with two people but is not aware how it got online
“I was turning the video in, I was handling it the appropriate way. Did I want it to get publicly put out and have people watch that… No… That’s not something people needed to watch,” she said.
The video quickly spread around social media on Monday outraging people. Many commented Son previously knew about the video and released it out of spite and not concern for the dog, but she pushed back.
“I’ve had people say she’s not safe with me… and that really hurt because if I would have known that, I would have done something sooner,” she said.
Prince turned himself in Wednesday and was arrested for animal cruelty, but released on a $160 bond.
