Woman accused of abusing dog at beach

"Princess Molly" is a three-pound dog that enjoys the ocean, but deputies said a recent trip to water was abusive.

Elizabeth Grindle said she was looking out the window of her residence on New Smyrna Beach on Monday evening, when she saw what she said appeared to be the mistreatment of a dog.

"When I looked out, I saw four woman who looked to be in their 20s. It looked like they were throwing a bag around at the end of a string.  They were throwing it on the beach, then throwing it in the water, then dragging it through the water, and all of a sudden, I realized it was a dog!"

Deputies arrested Christy Hopkins.  She is not the dog's owner, according to authorities, but she dog-sits frequently for the owner.  

Hopkins was arrested on animal cruelty charges, but she has since bonded out of jail.  She said she loves "Princess Molly," and did not hurt her.  She is in the process of finding a lawyer to fight the charges.  

The dog is back home with her owner, who did not want to talk about the incident.