The Brookhaven Police Department is being honored by PETA after arresting Twitch streamer AspenKartier when clips of her allegedly abusing her puppy surfaced.
In late January, disturbing Twitch clips went viral showing Aspen ‘AspenKartier’ Easterling interacting with her Maltipoo dog.
Even though the dog never appears on screen, audio from the stream records AspenKartier saying, “How did you get out the cage?” before seemingly reaching down to grab it.
Seconds later, repeated yelps are heard as the streamer appears to hit the animal three times.
While Easterling was banned on Twitch after the clips spread across social media, the police in Georgia also got involved and began investigating after users started flagging the videos to authorites.
Twitch streamer charged with cruelty to animals
According to CBS, after reviewing evidence submitted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Brookhaven police executed a search warrant at Easterling’s home on January 30.
The 19-year-old rapper, who has 70,000 followers on Twitch and over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, was subsequently arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
Authorities said the 3-month-old puppy has since been removed from the residence and is now safe in the care of DeKalb County Animal Services.
Jail records show the streamer was bonded out of jail and released the following day.
In acknowledgement of the authorities, PETA says it’s sending the police a Compassionate Police Department Award “in recognition of officers’ professionalism and swift action.”
PETA“If someone is willing to repeatedly hit a crying puppy on the global stage of a livestream, there’s no telling what might happen when the cameras are off,” PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk said.
“PETA is grateful to the Brookhaven Police Department for enforcing the state’s anti-cruelty law and reminds everyone never to be silent if they see or suspect abuse, as one phone call can make all the difference in a vulnerable being’s life.”
Along with the framed certificate, the organization is also sending officers vegan chocolates.
This isn’t the first time a streamer has been arrested for allegedly abusing a dog on stream. Last year, Canadia Kick streamer Lionel ‘lildealy’ Howse was arrested reentering the country after weeks of online outrage about the treatment of his dog on live broadcasts.
