Halifax police investigate video of woman swinging dog by its leash

Halifax Regional Police are investigating an apparent incident of animal mistreatment after a video of a woman violently swinging a small dog by its leash started circulating on social media.

In a news release sent Saturday afternoon, police say the incident happened on July 1 in the 600 block of Windmill Road in Dartmouth.

Officers responded at 5:30 p.m. to calls of "a physical altercation" involving four women.

"The altercation started after two females in one vehicle confronted two females in the second vehicle regarding being cut off in a drive-thru," the news release says.

At the time, no one involved wanted to pursue charges, police say. Police were told a dog was involved in the incident, but they say "the severity of the actions against the dog were not known at the time."

A video captured by witnesses inside a nearby vehicle shows a woman pulling a dog out of a vehicle by its leash. When the driver of the vehicle gets out and pursues her, the woman whips the dog at the driver. The two struggle for a few seconds before the driver takes the dog back.

The news release does not say who reported the dog's involvement, or what was reported.

Police say officers checked on two dogs in one of the vehicles, but found them to be "in good health."

Police say they learned of the video on Saturday and started investigating the apparent mistreatment of the dog. They said the investigation is in the early stages, and provided no other details.