HESPERIA (CBSLA.com) — Animal rights lovers are livid following the posting online of a video purporting to show a shelter worker dragging a dog by the leash down a hallway.

CBS2’s Bobby Kaple reported about the controversy Saturday.

The video was getting a lot of attention — most of it unwarranted — by animal lovers who could not believe the incident took place in a shelter, of all places.

Some called it animal cruelty.

A large white dog is shown in the cellphone video apparently being dragged down a hallway. The dog is prostrate and clearly resisting.

The city of Hesperia has opened an investigation into the video that first surfaced on Wednesday. During the investigation, the name of the shelter worker is being kept private.

The city’s mayor — Eric Schmidt — told Kaple the dog has been reunited with its family — he’d gotten lost earlier this week.

“I don’t think any reasonable human,” said Schmidt, “desires to see any living thing being treated in a manner that doesn’t dignify its existence.”

Due to the public outcry over the video, the mayor and the Hesperia City Council will convene for a special meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. and give the public the chance to express their views.

The mayor said he invites “anyone” to show up to be heard.