Sister of Marine in puppy-tossing video: Family has gotten death threats

Death threats have been made against the family of the Marine who is purported to be in a globally distributed video that shows him tossing a puppy over a cliff in Iraq, the Marine's sister said.

"Our family has been suffering greatly because of this," the sister said in an interview Tuesday with KIRO Radio (AM 710) in Seattle. The Everett Herald in Washington state has reported that the Marine is from nearby Monroe.

"We have had family pets all our life - dogs mainly," she said. "[My brother] has always been a great lover of animals."

His sister said she's unsure whether the video, which has been viewed many thousands of times on YouTube, is real or not. "I don't know anything for sure yet," she said. "We haven't been able to really talk to him."

In the meantime, she said, "We've received plenty of hate, we've received death threats against our family. ... I can't believe that this much hate mail is going forth. ... My family has been suffering greatly because of this."

The Marines are investigating the 17-second video, which has unleashed furious condemnation from viewers since it went live Monday. Others have dismissed the act to varying degrees or question whether the dog is alive or even real.

In Minnesota, Animal Humane Society investigator Keith Streff said Tuesday, "The first thing that screams at me ... is that for a professional to film a scenario under those circumstances is ludicrous to me, whether it's accurate or false."

Even if the abuse is staged, Streff said, "the military already loses" in terms of its reputation.

The Washington-based Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (SPCA) said Tuesday that it hopes the Marines take "swift and strong action during the investigation."

--PAUL WALSH