Heart-wrenching video of animal rights activists taking a puppy from a homeless man in central Paris continues to shock viewers.
As seen in the clip, dated Sept. 19, a man and a woman reportedly identified as members of Cause Animale Nord grab the dog from the beggar, who begins to wail. The dog is then relayed to another who runs from the scene with the animal.
According to the Telegraph Friday, the group says the man was crushing the puppy and that the dog's pupils were dilated. "We took (the dog) away from a Roma who was using it for begging. The police don't do anything, we act," the group's Facebook post read, per the Telegraph.
But outrage at what some say is an illegal seizure has prompted a Change.org petition calling for an investigation into Cause Animale Nord’s tactics and the dog's return, outlets note.
The puppy has reportedly been put up for adoption.
While debate continues to rage, the Dodo reported that the president of a local animal protection league, Grégory Malfait, denounced Cause Animale Nord members' actions. "Even if we do animal protection, there is still a legal framework there," he said in a passage translated by the site. "They went completely off."
UPDATE: After a police investigation, Cause Animale Nord is returning the dog to the man, the Telegraph reported on Oct. 5.
Here's a previous video report of the incident:
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