A man has appeared in court after a viral video appeared to show a dog being violently attacked inside a home.
Fitness influencer Michael Gerchy handed himself in to police on Friday (27 Mar) following an investigation sparked by the shocking footage shared online.
Gerchy, from Lancaster, Virginia, appeared before a judge following his arrest.
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The 47-year-old is facing charges of animal cruelty and violating a protective order, as well as separate allegations including domestic violence.
The case first came to light after a video allegedly showed him striking a dog, forcing it into furniture and placing it in a headlock.
The video involves a dog named Thor and a second, smaller dog named Stitch.
The hearing took place in Manchester, Connecticut, US.
During proceedings, his ex-girlfriend Brittany Kelly told the court the incident happened at her home while he was living there.
She said: “In the moment, my heart broke for the dog, but my soul was into survival mode for the children.”
Animal welfare advocates also attended the hearing.
Linda Gilley, of Desmond’s Army, said: “To see an animal slammed to the ground, it’s just horrifying.”
Gerchy’s lawyer, John O’Brien, argued the footage did not show the full context.
He said: “If people see the full video, you have two very large dogs attacking the other, there’s a cry for help.
“Mr Gerchy separates the two dogs to stop them from mortally wounding each other.”
Gerchy became emotional as he faced the judge during the arraignment.
His bond was set at £215,000 ($275,000 USD) in total across all charges.
Kelly added: “What people saw in this video with the dogs was exactly what happened to me.”
Gilley warned the case reflected a wider pattern, saying: “Almost every domestic violence case we see, the person started out with the animal abuse and escalated and escalated until they finally end up harming people.”
Gerchy is due back in court in April.
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