A dog that was tethered to a campaign sign for Donald Trump was not subjected to animal cruelty, the Pennsylvania State Police said on Sunday.
Police first visited Donegal Oct. 17, to check on the welfare a dog reported to be tied to a political sign on private property. Photos of the dog tied to the sign had sparked uproar on social media. One Facebook post received around 2,700 shares.
“This poor dog is tied out to this sign in Pennsylvania on Rte711 between Stahlstown, PA and Donegal, PA,” the post reads. “You can see the dog on the ground to the left of the sign. It is currently out in the cold and rain…It is my understanding that the owner has cameras out and that the dog is there to deter theft of the sign. Please put an end to this abusive situation.”
But police found no evidence of animal cruelty, they said.
Troopers found the dog had adequate food and water, as well as a dog house near the sign, police said in a news release. They responded to more complaints on Oct. 24, confirming it was the same dog tethered to the same sign.
They again interviewed the property and dog owner, and again determined it was properly cared for in accordance with state law.
A state police Animal Cruelty Officer also inspected the property and again interviewed the owner. The officer found no violations.
On both occasions, the owner told troopers the sign in question recently had been vandalized. The dog’s presence was meant to deter the same from happening again. A Facebook post from an individual claiming to be the dog’s owner explained that the dog, named Chara Luna, is a Caucasian shepherd — a dog bred “to be comfortable in colder temperatures and wet environments.”
The owner said Chara Luna is a guard dog used for security on the property.
The owner of the Facebook account, which belongs to a dental office, did not respond to messages seeking comment on Sunday.
The owner went on to explain how the sign was damaged Oct. 15, with one side torn down and a blue baseball cap left with stitching that read “Vote him out.” The incident prompted the owner to install additional cameras and bring Chara Luna to guard the sign after it was reinstalled.
“Had someone not vandalized my sign, I wouldn’t have had to keep my guard dog there to protect it,” the post reads.
In a second Facebook post Sunday, the owner said Chara Luna would no longer be guarding the sign, “because of so many posts often spreading false information about the care of the dog…The dog also needs to rest from all of the additional vehicles (as of yesterday) pulling off the road to view the dog, causing it to bark much more often.”
