Cary, NC – The woman whose photo of a dog with its mouth wrapped in duct tape went viral over the Thanksgiving weekend is asking for a public defender.
Katharine Lemansky did not enter a plea during her court appearance in Wake County, North Carolina on Monday.
Lemansky is the 45-year-old woman who South Daytona police say used the alias “Katie Brown” to post the photo seen above on her Facebook account on Black Friday.
That photo was pulled from Facebook after it went viral and drew hundreds of thousands of shares and thousands of comments.
South Daytona police were initially handed the case because the Facebook profile indicated “Katie Brown” was a city resident, but investigators now believe Lemansky actually posted the photo in North Carolina.
The Cary (NC) Police Department found Lemansky 3 days after the photo was posted and she’s been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty. She’s facing a fine and up to 150 days in jail if convicted.
Detectives say Lemansky’s dog was also found and has been left in her care because the dog appeared to be in good condition.
Lemansky is expected back in court on January 5th.
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