'F--- this dog': Facebook threats made by Cherica Winston lead to charges of animal cruelty

COLORADO -- A Facebook post written by an Aurora woman has her in trouble with the law. It’s a post that will frustrate any animal lover.

"$50 bucks and you can have this damn pitt. imma keep shooting her with this taser and b-b gun 'til she's gone... F--- this dog," the post read.

They’re words Aurora police say popped up on Cherica Winston's Facebook page over the weekend. It was language describing dog sitting a canine she couldn't care less about.


Enough people saw her posting on Facebook that they forwarded them to the Aurora Police Department, which posted them on its Facebook page.

Residents were outraged and relieved to hear police were in pursuit, tracking down the dog at at Winston's Emporia Street home.

They didn't like what they saw.

"A small dog, located in a small crate, the dog was all by itself,  no type food or water," Aurora police Sgt. Chris Amsler said. "There was an awful smell. ... The animal had been peeing in the crate and was soaked in the urine."

And while Winston faces charges of animal cruelty, the 31-year-old won't face charges for the alleged Facebook threats after detectives said they found no evidence she carried through on the torture she boasted about.

"Our officer didn't find any evidence that the dog had been tased or shot with a BB gun," Amsler
said.

Winston’s friend Travis Smith alerted police. He said he messaged Winston about her post, but she mouthed off to him.

“My immediate reaction is ‘Oh, my God!’” Smith said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before."

Smith’s work with a nonprofit agency, impactlocally.org, which helps the homeless, inspired him to step in to help the dog.

“I have two dogs myself,” he said.

For now, that small dog is doing better, in the care of the Aurora Animal Shelter  ,receiving some much needed TLC. The shelter is not releasing a picture or video of the dog.

And while Winston posted the dog is a "pitt," authorities and the animal shelter will not confirm if it is a pit bull, a banned breed in Aurora.

"This is a great example of how a group of people saw something that concerned them, told us and we were able to get successful resolution,” Amsler said.

The Aurora Animal Shelter is not saying how long it will keep the dog before putting it up for adoption.

Winston is due in court Oct. 27.​

(KDVR - Oct 1, 2015)