The picture, which has drawn the ire of hundreds from around the country, depicts two young girls in a vehicle who have fashioned a pulley system through a clothes hanging latch with a jump rope. On one end of the rope are the two young girls who appear to be laughing playfully, while on the other end of the rope is a small dog dangling by its haunches.
The picture was reported to Bay County Animal Control before being relayed to Springfield Police Department. The grandmother of the two girls, Loretta Bozeman, has been cited with a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals for posting the picture.
The family has received more than 500 death threats and threats to their personal safety through social media websites, Chief Philip Thorne said.
Family members have since reached out to media outlets to clarify that the girls were re-enacting an animal rescue from a TV show.
The small dog pictured and another dog at the residence have been taken into the custody of Animal Control. A judge will look at the case to determine whether the animals should be returned to the home.