Woman Who Posted Pics of Diapered Dog Is Arrested

On charges of harassment; she says her freedom of speech has been violated
By Elizabeth Armstrong Moore,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 6, 2015 7:39 AM CST
Woman Who Posted Pics of Diapered Dog Is Arrested
This dog was allegedly left outside on a balcony for a week.   (Kathy Vazquez/Facebook)

About two weeks ago, a Texas woman noticed a dog on a neighbor's balcony that she suspected was being neglected: The dog, June, was wearing a diaper and was allegedly muzzled with some type of string. Amber Cammack took photos and then posted them on Facebook—a last resort, she says, after her attempts to report the alleged abuse went nowhere. She was arrested on Tuesday for her troubles. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says deputies took several statements from neighbors at the Villas of Westador condominium accusing Cammack of repeatedly publishing "allegations of animal abuse on social media sites, including their personal information, their physical locations, security access information, personal vehicle information, and more," per the Houston Chronicle.

She was apparently first given a warning on Monday, when she was told she faced arrest if she didn't take down the photos. "When the sheriff himself calls you and threatens you with arrest, that is an extreme chill on your right to freedom of expression," her attorney said in a statement. She spent a night in jail and was on Thursday joined by not just her attorney but two dozen protesters carrying signs in support of the "porch pooch." The district attorney admits "the pictures are bad" but says there's no evidence of animal cruelty; the dog, who was being dog-sat for roughly a week by condo dweller Karress Buckman, is in good health and back home with its owner. Buckman explains the diaper to Click2Houston.com as being due to "loose stool. We didn't want it to drip down on the neighbor below." The DA won't be filing charges against Cammack. (See how this man used his dog as a weapon.)

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