A Florida Keys woman is facing an animal cruelty charge after authorities say she was seen choking a six-month-old Siberian Husky.
Diana Linares, 45, of Marathon, was arrested Sunday in the Nov. 20 incident, Monroe County Sheriff's Office officials said.
Authorities said the dog, Lulu, was found wandering in Marathon and was returned to Linares, who is the mother of the dog's owner.
The witnesses who found the dog said they saw Linares repeatedly pick the dog up by the collar, lifting her off the ground and choking her repeatedly for up to 30-60 seconds at a time, authorities said.
The two witnesses talked Linares into giving Lulu back to them and they took her to a veterinary clinic, where she was found to have an eye injury, authorities said. The veterinarian said the injury was due to either asphyxiation or blunt force trauma.
Linares remained behind bars Monday, jail records showed. It's unknown if she's hired an attorney.
