Photo of Puppy in Ziploc Bag Leads to Arrests of Mother, Son

A New Mexico mother and son arrested Saturday face animal cruelty charges after a picture snapped of an 8-week-old puppy stuffed into an open Ziploc bag was reported to authorities.

(Image source: Screen grab via KOAT-TV)

The mother and son were identified as Mary Snell and James Engel.

“They got a new puppy and were trying to show how small the dog was in comparison to a Ziploc bag, Sgt. Aaron Williamson told KOAT-TV. "The dog was moving around and to restrict its movement. Ms. Snell thought that it would be a good idea to put the dog in the bag."

(Image source: Screen grab via KOAT-TV)

According to authorities, the dog could have suffocated due to the position it was in.

"She did admit it was wrong, but she couldn't get the dog to sit still, so she did it anyway," Williamson told KOAT-TV. "A young puppy doesn't have the ability to move its head to a fresh supply of oxygen."

A concerned citizen reportedly tipped off authorities to the photo after they saw it posted on Facebook.

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