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Boots Stanley And Steven Sadler: Snapchat Video Showing Dog Tortured And Killed Leads To Arrest Of Two Arkansas Men

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 06:55 PST, Aug 26, 2016

Boots Stanley and Steven Sadler are under arrest after a viral Snapchat video allegedly showed the two Arkansas men torturing and killing a dog.

The men were taken into custody on Thursday after police were given the video of the dog being hanged by the neck and then stabbed to death, KTHV reported. The video had been initially posted on Facebook by Hanna Gospin, who said she first saw it on Snapchat and wanted to share it in the hopes that it could lead to charges against the men responsible.

“I’m not scratching out a name in hopes that this person will never own a dog again,” Gospin said in the video.

The post certainly achieved that purpose, THV 11 reported. While it was met with disgust from many of those who watched, the Snapchat video showing the dog being killed was shared thousands of times and quickly found its way to the hands of police in the town of Bastrop.

Working together with the Ashley County Sheriff’s Office, the Morehead Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamburg Police Department, police from Bastrop were able to apprehend Boots Stanley and Steven Sadler, who they say are responsible for the gruesome dog killing video.

The Snapchat video showed one man tying a rope around the dog’s neck and comparing himself to Michael Vick, the NFL quarterback who spent nearly two years in prison for running a dogfighting ring in which he killed poor-performing dogs.

The men then drag the dog’s body behind a horse before a man identified by police as Steven Sadler is seen slitting the animal’s throat several times with a knife, leading the animal to bleed to death.

There was still much outrage even after the arrests, with some starting a petition calling on local prosecutors to seek the harshest possible sentence against the two men.

The Snapchat video of two Arkansas men allegedly killing a dog comes just days after another case of animal abuse that went viral through the social media site. Earlier in the week, a video from Australia emerged showing someone deliberately striking a kangaroo with a vehicle and then torturing the animal by stabbing it and burning it with a cigarette.

The video allegedly showed a group of people who purposely hit the kangaroo and then exited the car to capture it before it could get away, News Limited reported. The animal was held down and burned with cigarettes and stabbed repeatedly before the men stomped on the animal’s head until it was decapitated. Video of the horrific attack was then posted to Snapchat and went viral.

The Mirror reported that wildlife officials are determined to find the men responsible for torturing and killing the kangaroo. Police have reportedly interviewed a teenager in connection to the attack, but it’s not clear if the teen was involved.

“Anyone who witnessed the incident, has viewed the video or has copies or screenshots of the video, or has any additional information, is asked to contact the RSPCA South Australia’s 24-hour cruelty hotline on 1300 4 777 22,” said Andrea Lewis of the South Australian RSPCA.

Authorities said they hope the worldwide attention brought on by the Snapchat video will help lead them to the people responsible.

There are other cases where social media posts of animal abuse have led to justice for the defenseless animals. Last year, Texas veterinarian Kristen Lindsey posted a picture of a stray cat she killed with a bow and arrow, leading to criminal charges and a hearing to lose her license to practice, the Daily Mail noted.

After the Snapchat video showing the dog being killed, Boots Stanley and Steven Sadler were arrested and charged with one count of cruelty to animals and one count each of conspiracy.

[Photo by iStock]

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