The crazy cutthroat competitive cheer world has gotten mercilessly aggressive since the owner of the Lowcountry's top cheer gym was accused of animal abuse on social media.

A video clip circulating online shows Cheer Savannah owner Stephanie Britt kick her dachshund out of the way during a practice event in August. What spawned from possible resentment over youth sports snowballed into allegations of animal cruelty and fueled an international cyber shaming campaign.

The Chatham County District Attorney's office has responded to a barrage of calls from outraged animal activists by launching an investigation into what happened to Britt's dog, Charlie.

"We're not just reviewing the video, we're interviewing witnesses as well," said DA's office spokeswoman Kristin Fulford. "But the district attorney won't make a decision on how she will proceed based on social media pressure. She makes her decisions based on evidence."

Misdemeanor animal cruelty under Georgia law involves the death or unjustifiable physical pain and suffering of an animal. Felony aggravated cruelty is considered a malicious act that causes an animal's death or disfigurement.

Charlie, who has had a complete veterinary examination, appears to be full of energy, in perfect health and quick to nip at ankles.

But the dog may be the only one scampering away happy from this convoluted case.

Poochie payback

For 17 years Cheer Savannah has been the premier local cheer gym, and owner Stephanie Britt was loved by those waving Cheer Savannah pom-poms and hated by opposing teams. Rival cheer moms were eager to expose Britt's tenacious leadership style and dethrone Savannah's competitive cheer queen.

They got their chance last month.

One of Britt's detractors videotaped her during practice for a Benedictine Military School fundraiser in August, and Britt provided more to complain about than a coach's rant. Britt's constant companion - a dachshund named Charlie - was nipping at shoe strings and disrupting the structured practice time. Britt kicked Charlie from underfoot.

The video clip circulated between unhappy cheer moms for three months until one mom took issue with Britt covering her daughter's mouth during practice. She swore out a warrant for battery in November. Former cheer mom Bonnie Wardlaw then posted the dog kick video on a local social media site, giving other frustrated moms and opinionated locals a chance to unload.

Jacksonville animal lover Denise Hood Bressler saw the video and criticisms. She passed it all along to animal rights groups, who immediately launched an international social media campaign to get justice for Charlie.

Shame, shame, shame

Some online activists posted contacts for the Chatham County District Attorney, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and police to pressure them into filing cruelty charges and confiscating the dog. But others sought justice through shaming.

It quickly got scary and personal.

People from New York to the Philippines chimed in. Some called Britt vulgar names and others shared gossip about accusations against her.

Kimberly Smith Kirby shared contacts for Britt's business and a Savannah company she listed as Britt's backer.

"Please make this viral," she wrote. "Let's put her out of business."

"She deserves public humiliation and worse," posted Savannahian Wendy Atwell Fryer.

On Friday, Nov. 25, Benedictine Military School suspended Britt from the cheer program she coordinated. By the end of the week the Chatham County District Attorney's office said they were investigating.

Britt, her family and several supporters went online to clarify half-truths and post their explanations, but they didn't sound remorseful to the critics. It only made things worse.

People started calling Britt's home and business with nasty messages and death threats. Some looked up her teenage daughters' social media accounts and threatened them directly. They even called and messaged cheerleaders and their families.

"Hmm. I see some people taking up for the repulsive dog beater! Shall they be outed?" Rudy Gasdik of Savannah posted.

"Yes Rudy Gasdik," posted Savannahian Denise Driggers. "They need to be outed."

Britt hired police security to stand watch over cheer practices and went into hiding.

Rags to cheer bows

Britt is no stranger to the spotlight. But this is the first time things have gotten so hot. The hard pushing, tough talking, championship winning owner of Cheer Savannah amassed a few enemies over the last 17 years as she built an elite cheerleading empire that put some girls in the limelight and left others crushed.

"I'm not going to dance around it," she said. "I am fair and consistent. I set rules and I expect you to follow them. I love my girls. When they do good I hide dollar bills in their shoes. If they need to be called out then I call them out. But I still love them."

Britt stresses hard work for a reason. At age 15 she worked the midnight shift at a Cochran, Ga., Waffle House to help her single mother pay for government-assisted housing. At 17 she used the extra money to rent gym space at the rec center so she could teach girls to flip. It wasn't long before she was earning more than her mother.

Tumbling lessons paid her way through Georgia Southern. She married at 21 and had her first child at 23. When her husband worked his way up in local football coaching ranks, Britt helped his schools build competitive cheer squads. She eventually started her own competition team with 23 girls in rented space at Savannah Country Day School - the first of its kind in Savannah. After years of developing her iconic pink and red Cheer Savannah brand and operating on three hours of sleep a night, Britt had built a $1.2 million cheer gym and a competition team that's ranked 11th in the world.

Pain and pom-poms

It was Britt's brass, sass and high expectations that pushed Cheer Savannah to its perch near the World Cheer pinnacle; and the competitive cheer world is no place for weaklings.

Private competitive teams are cheerleading's high society. Anybody with realistic dreams of a college cheer scholarship participates on competitive teams - some start as young as age 5. Each year hundreds of parents invest $5,000 or more in training, uniforms and travel so their daughters can earn coveted spots on winning cheer squads. The intensely committed can work their way up to elite level competition teams. But only a rare few ever achieve the physicality required to climb to the top of the pyramid.

Girls of any age and skill level could train and perform with Cheer Savannah, but Britt's level 5 competition team made room for just 16 of the most disciplined and polished athletes. She demanded perfection. Only those with a flawless look and consistent tuck, twist and backflip skills earned the right to wear a trademark bow on the back of a Senior Level 5 uniform.

Cheer mama drama

Britt made Cheer Savannah the number one stunner, even when they didn't finish first in competition. For what they lacked in technical skills, Britt made sure her team more than made up in style. Professional dance choreographers taught the girls to break it down like Beyoncé. Their uniforms were custom made eye candy and anyone without big hair, a deep tan and bold makeup had to buy it, spray it and apply it.

Girls lined up to join the squad because all eyes were on Cheer Savannah - some green with envy, others rolling in disapproval.

While most cheer moms insisted their daughters competed to build character and experience a team dynamic, some couldn't help but feel cheering makes girls popular, pretty or powerful. A few Savannah area cheer moms had known one another since high school, and their rivalries ran deep. With so much emotion and competition involved, it was easy for them to get caught up in the drama and potentially live vicariously through their cheerleaders.

When friends faced off in competition, girls left to train with rival gyms or teammates battled for the spotlight, hot streams of vitriol and gossip flowed through cheer mom circles. The bitterness brewed as Britt racked up cheer titles, built a lucrative business and gained social status for her community service and work with school cheer programs. Her family even took in Demarcus Dobbs when he was a ward of the state and developed him into a University of Georgia football standout. He went on to play five seasons in the NFL.

It seemed like Britt could do no wrong and cheer moms whose tearful daughters had been singled out for missteps or denied the spotlight were furious. When Britt showed up at cheer competitions wearing designer miniskirts and pricey red-bottom heels, it was like a poke to their wounds.

"She's always acting like she's so fit and her daughters are so great. I'm more fit than she is and my child is extremely fit," said Bridgett Hollcroft, who quit the gym in 2013 when her daughter Bella wasn't promoted to a junior level 4 team. "I've got nothing to be jealous of her for. My child is better than her kids."

Love and hate

Former Cheer Savannah Grandmother Jan Womble was among the many unhappy cheer moms who added accusations of bullying to the animal cruelty claims online.

"When kids are sick and have a doctor's note they still have to be there and watch. She's more concerned with winning. It's absurd,"Womble said. "It's almost like a cult mentality."

If a team member neglected her training or put on too much weight to be lifted and tossed, cheer critics said Britt wouldn't hesitate to get in her face and point out the many others lined up to take their spot. Some likened her to Bobby Knight, Indiana University's famous chair throwing basketball coach.

In 2009 and again in 2015 two angry moms filed civil suits accusing Britt of choking their daughters during moments of cheer-related frustration. The 2009 case was settled. Last month a third cheer mom accused Britt of putting her hand over the child's mouth when she was talking during practice, according to Pooler Police. Britt was charged with misdemeanor simple battery.

Cheer mom Susie Villarreal said the accusations are fueled by sour grapes.

"If you disagree with Stephanie you handle it in an adult manner and resolve your issue," she said. "My daughters don't have a problem because they were raised to handle criticism. They know even when you do your best, there might be someone better than you."

Ed Chapman, who has done business with Britt for 10 years, argues that high stakes youth coaches often become the target of civil suits and scorn from parents who invest money, time and hope into young athletic superstars.

"She is in the competitive coaching business. You're not going to make everyone happy," he said. "I hope no one ever had a video on me when I was coaching. It's a tough world to be in. When you're dealing with children, parents and emotions sometimes people want to get back at you. I think this has gotten out of hand and social media is fueling it."

Stacy Davis, a Cheer Savannah mom of 12 years, said for every unhappy cheer mom who has come forward with a complaint, there are dozens more who praise Britt and happily line up to pay for their child to be a part of her team. Davis said Britt treats her cheerleaders and her dog well.

"People stay with her and keep coming because they love her and it's a great environment," Davis said. "It's a tough gym. Kids get yelled at sometimes, but it's nothing that hasn't happened on any other competitive sports team. It makes them stronger and builds character."

While the social media battle raged on, the young girls of Cheer Savannah decided to demonstrate their strength of mind, body and character. Last weekend they picked up their pom-poms, shook off the social media distractions and kicked off the 2017 competition season at the Snowflake Classic Cheer competition in Savannah.

And the team won the Grand Champion title.