Puppies Recovering At Oklahoma City Shelter Following Attack In Viral Video

**CONTENT WARNING: The video may be too disturbing for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.​**

The puppies beaten by two boys in a viral video were doing "surprisingly well' after they were seized by OKC Animal Welfare, said the superintendent of the shelter.

The video showed the dogs, one on top of the other, in the backseat of a car. Two boys flanking the dogs then began beating and kicking the animals. One of the boys smashed a puppy to the car floor before continuing to stomp the other dog. The boys could be heard laughing throughout the video while the puppies yelped helplessly.

The video was posted on social media, which prompted people in the community to alert police.

Viewers said the boys in the video were Deer Creek Middle School students.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma City Police announced that officers took both boys into custody. The suspects, who were not identified due to their ages, each faced two felony counts of animal cruelty, police said.

"It's important for us to be the voice of animals and to help get them to a safe environment," said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, assistant public information officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Jon Gary, superintendent of OKC Animal Welfare, said they were initially made aware of the attack on Sunday. But they had to first determine who had jurisdiction of the case because it was unclear where the attack happened, given that the video was recorded inside of a car. Once they obtained enough information, OKC Animal Welfare worked with police to execute a search and seizure warrant at the home of the dogs in northeast Oklahoma City, Gary said.

Gary said OKC Animal Welfare seized five dogs from that home: the two puppies in the video, a third puppy and two adult dogs.

"The injuries were minor, surprisingly minor, actually compared to what you saw in the video," said Gary." "The puppies are somewhat malnourished. So we're working on that with them, making sure that they get what they need to get a little more healthy, and we'll be housing the dogs until either the case is heard in court or until the animals are released to us."

Gary said because the case had not gone through court yet, the dogs were not adoptable. But that could change should the owners sign a release agreeing to surrender the dogs to the shelter.

"There is such thing as a bond hearing that we're looking at the possibility of doing that now. That could possibly get them into our custody sooner," said Gary.

Since the dogs did not belong to the shelter as of Wednesday, News 9 was not permitted to get new video of the dogs. But Gary said the veterinary team will be monitoring the dogs every day. Due to a disease outbreak at the shelter, Gary said the dogs were placed in a room that had not been exposed.

Although the dogs were not adoptable yet, Gary said the shelter will likely work to place them in foster homes.

"This is kind of a stressful environment. So anytime we got animals that are malnourished or not feeling well, this is not the best environment to try to get them better in," said Gary. "And so we'll probably be doing that here in the next day or so as we work through, you know, making sure that we get everything we need for the case before doing that ."

Gary credited the public for sending tips that helped authorities find the dogs and suspects.

"Because the video did go so viral, we're getting information from, sources from everywhere," said Gary. "Honestly, the investigation was kind of a community effort." 

Oklahoma City Police also mentioned in a news release that the boys may be connected to school threats.

"On Sunday, April 2nd, several metro law enforcement agencies received calls regarding an online video showing two juveniles possibly abusing dogs, and also making threats toward a metro middle school... April 3rd another video was posted making a threat toward a school. Officers located the first suspect at a house and recovered firearms," the news release from police said.

News 9 asked police if the suspects could face charges for the alleged school threats. Police said it would be up to the District Attorney's Office. News 9 then called the DA's Office and left a message. But News 9 did not hear back as of Wednesday evening.

News 9 also contacted Deer Creek Schools to ask about the alleged threats mentioned in the Police Department's news release, as well as the future status of the boys in the video. The school district's public information officer emailed News 9 a copy of a letter that the superintendent sent to parents. The letter said the following:

Dear Deer Creek Middle School Families, 

We continue to receive phone calls and emails with incorrect or misleading information relating to an off-campus incident involving two Deer Creek Middle School students and whether there is an impact on the safety and security of our school. These rumors generated by adults and students are not based on factual information that can be substantiated through valid sources. I want to reiterate that any safety situations have been contained, and there have been no further incidents. We ask you to please not engage in the sharing of second-hand information, as this only continues to disrupt the education of our students and increase anxiety. We are thankful to the Oklahoma City Police Department and our student resource officers through the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office for their vigilance and hard work in addressing the situation that occurred over the weekend and ensuring that Deer Creek Middle School is a safe space for our students and staff.

We are unable to share any specific information related to individual students. This would include disciplinary actions, attendance, or personal contact information. Student confidentiality is a state and federal law that we value for the sake and safety of all students. We continue to receive specific updates from law enforcement. As with any situation at any Deer Creek school, if we believe there is a situation that warrants increasing safety protocols, we will make all families aware as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Dr. Jason Perez, Superintendent