Holy Wow. Dog inside, please. Dogs, what? Come to the door. Some people should never be allowed near animals. Often, they get away with years of cruelty and neglect. >> When I pulled up, you said that you kicked the dog. No, I nudged the dog. I didn't full-on cut kick them. So >> Dog didn't get up. I just barely nudged them. They're all lying. Is that correct? >> Yeah. I didn't kick the dog like that. I didn't full-on kick them over. In the closet, I am sure they're crying for the two dogs that are back there. Thankfully, the law eventually catches up to them, and after years of cruelty, dog abusers meet instant [music] karma. How is it that you see fit to displace the dogs [music] when things like this happen? I don't know. I mean, there's not a guide to Well, the video shows you clearly striking them with a rock or multiple rocks. On the 19th of February, 2025, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, contractors saw a man throwing rocks at two basset hounds in his yard, so they immediately called authorities. Animal Control responded quickly and decided to secure the dogs as soon as possible. They would later find out the abuser was not even their owner. Well, it's both dogs. He's a boy. It's okay. It's okay. >> [snorts] >> Sorry, I'm going to pull it real quick, though. Okay, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. As it turned out, there were four dogs in total. As far as the two inside the house, there was no problem securing them. Now, the officer had to find two more bassets roaming around, and one of them was not going to be easy to catch. Hi, misters. Are you scared or tired? Come here. Come here. Come here. Come here. Oh, he's scared. Yeah, I didn't know it was ripped open there. She's scared. Hi. Oh, there's another one. There's two dogs back here. Oh, is this [clears throat] one Yeah. Over there, in the corner. These brakes are tend to be a little bit aggressive. Oh, wait, it's okay, misters. It's okay. Do you want me to grab your friend? Hi, misters. Hi. That little brown and white dog, I'm not sure if you're aware, but it looks like there's blood or blood that came from the nose. [music] Area. Oh, you did see it. No, I didn't see it, but he was kicking the dogs. Okay, yeah, cuz there's blood on the rocks. As they secured the brown and white dog, the detectives took photos. The white dog, a male, was barely able to move, and the black one had visible injuries. As the officer walked out with the male, the female followed. The officer then took the opportunity to get both of them secured. >> [snorts] >> It's okay. Outside. Outside. Okay. Is this one yours? Is this one yours? Yeah, do you want to wear it? Do you want to wear it? Come here. You'll be nice. Let's put the harness on you. >> [panting and snorts] >> She can't walk very well. Once the house was cleared, all the animals were taken to a shelter for a thorough veterinary check. After enduring such harsh abuse, the dogs probably had physical injuries, as well as deep emotional trauma. See the doctor? I am. Okay, so the injured one is the injured one is in here. Okay. So, do you want to bring that one in first? Sure, we'll do that one. Okay, I have four dogs. You have four dogs. So, I have two basset hounds and two Frenchies. Okay. But, this is the one that's injured. [music] He's She's fallen on that leg. I can't tell for sure if it's blood that's coming from in the nasal cavity or if we've got a laceration. So, what we're going to do is we're going to use a warm wet washcloth just to kind of soak it, see if there is a laceration right there or if it seems like it's coming from up here. Luckily, there was only one dog that was seriously injured. After getting a clean bill of health, Animal Control had to contact the owner. As things turned out, the man who abused the dogs was the owner's roommate. The dog's owner, Leslie, had no idea what had been happening behind her back. Hello. Hello, this is Gino from Las Cruces Animal Control. May I speak to Leslie, please? Hi, yes, this is Leslie. I see that you have a call here for me, wondering to know where your dogs are at. Yes, sir. Um They are at the Animal Service Center of Mesilla Valley. Do you know where that's at? Uh I believe so. So, I've already been in contact with the animal shelter, >> [music] >> and they have no problem returning the dogs to you. Okay, perfect. What you'll have to do is to prove somehow that the dogs are yours. Okay. Leslie had all the paperwork confirming she'd taken care of the dogs and seen by a veterinarian. Imagine her surprise when she found out that her roommate had been throwing rocks at them. And speaking of the roommate, he was quickly brought in to be questioned. Hi, Mr. Cobos. My name is Detective Courtney Beatty with Las Cruces Police Department. All right, Mr. Cobos. So, I'd like to talk to you about the reason that you're here, but before we do that, because we have the officers hang out here in the room, but I'm going to read you your constitutional Miranda rights, is that okay? So, the first part is that you have the right to remain silent. So, my first question to you about something do you understand what I just read to you? Or do you want me to play it >> Or you just read it? Yeah, I understand. Okay. So, the second part of that question is, how do you wish to waive your rights to remain silent? Is it I talk about the reason that you're here? Um yeah, I mean, we can discuss it. At that point, the officer decided to uncuff the man, 36-year-old Luis Cobos. At the time of the incident, he was Leslie's roommate and supposedly her boyfriend. According to Luis, they owned the dogs together, but what had possessed the man to be so cruel? How long have you guys had those dogs? Uh the basset hounds, 3 and 1/2 years. Okay. And the Frenchies, maybe like 6 months for the smaller one, and then 8 months for the larger one. Okay, approximately. And the basset hounds, you got those together? Are they any kind of like related? Like, did they come from like the same litter or anything like that? Um no, cuz we got them from different states. The images on the video, the video that was taken, it was very clear that you were upset with the basset hounds this morning. Can I ask you like what happened with the dogs that you were so angry with them? Just kind of like they were a bit more aggressive. Okay. Um especially when it comes to the food. Okay. Um like they're they're food Yeah, yeah. I mean, there it was a an instance where they kind of snapped at me and bit me and Yeah. Obviously. Did one bite you or did both bite you? They both did. They did. Where Where did they bite you? Um so, I had one here, uh then I think the other one was more like a quick little snap here on the top of my my hand. Okay. But, yeah, those were the two instances here. Can I Can I see? Can I look with the marks? The white basset named Billy was in no condition to bite anyone. Even the black one called Nani seemed to be too timid to bite anyone. But, the suspect said he'd been bitten and that he reacted out of anger. How is it that you see fit to displace the dogs when things like this happen? Um I mean, I I don't know. I mean, there's not a guide to I know. Right. And I I can't even say what is or isn't bit cuz I don't even know what the evidence is. So, I mean, I can't answer that question. Well, I mean, so the video shows you clearly striking them with a rock or multiple rocks. Okay. So, is that something that like That that's I mean >> Is typical? Is that a >> That's not typical and um that's not something that I'm proud of. Okay. It's not my character. Okay. Um it's not something that you know, >> [music] >> again, I'm proud of of happening. And it it definitely probably was just like a lapse in judgment. Blacked out this morning out of rush of anger. Um but yeah, again, it was So, it's not So, it's not typical. >> I agree that that's not fit Yeah. For what the man called a lapse of judgment in a fit of anger, he was arrested and charged with two counts of extreme animal cruelty, which is a felony in New Mexico. He's being held in jail on a bond of $2,500. After several calls came in of people seeing multiple dead dogs in their neighbor's yard, animal services in Ogden was called to do a welfare check. One man claimed he'd seen 11 deceased dogs in a week. Responding to the residents was animal control as well as several officers, and nothing could have prepared them for the sheer scale of the problem. Oh, lord. That's why there's so many dogs. Guys. Can I talk to you over here for a second? I need somebody in Spanish. Sorry. Yeah. Okay. Can you come over here and talk to Yeah. Is there anybody else in the house? Yeah. How many? Many. Miguel Salgado. I got problem now in in me, too. I got a problem that I can't do. I got you. Oh, ouch. Do you call animal >> I I got nervous. I got nervous. >> Yeah. Does animal control speak Spanish? The last time they they say the people coming and giving the dogs 3833 You you know the problem more more more as the time and more more I call the lady healthy all the time for the helping helping. [laughter] But he's he's not here. He's moving for all the estate. The man you see is 50-year-old Ramon Cano Espiro. He's a friend of the owner, 73-year-old Miguel Salgado Vargas. At first, it looked like Ramon was stalling. He said both the men had heart conditions and talked about the dog situation and how they tried to resolve it multiple times. They're coming newspaper no good. The newspaper? For for problems with animals? They say So, how many dogs >> dogs are really dogs here in the house? He he say sorry. He say I needed time for this on and He say no no coming animal control. I give you the dogs for the best best friend animals. I call um robo something over there the santuario. Yeah, that's the thing. It's all animal control. So, probably take the dogs there. So, they're here. But I don't know that he's having problems and I know he's having problems. And then mine and then He's not going to be dangerous though. Hm? He's not going to be dangerous though to the police, right? No. No. Ramon clearly knew what was going on. He at one point admitted that the reason why Miguel didn't call animal services was that he was afraid they'd euthanize his dogs. Because they hadn't been spayed or neutered, their numbers just kept growing. I tried I I tried talk to him and I talked to me and he say no no that animal control. My dogs. He's saying and crying crying every day crying crying with all So, how many I love with the dogs. I love that the people coming. I put Just today I put out two dogs in here. Search warrant. You can comprehend it? We're serving you with a search warrant. Obviously, the man was concerned about the officers coming in the house and for very good reason. As they were about to find out, the house was a mess and it was clearly inhumane to keep these animals in such terrible living conditions. Go. Think we'll open the door. I would just catch them as they run We'll just hold cover on the door and then any dog that comes out is I think what we're going to want to do first is go in and get as many photos as we can. Okay, we're going to secure it first and then but I know dogs and a lot of animals are probably going to run out. So, we're just going to main main We're going to make sure it's safe. Do you not want to clear it first just in case there's anybody in there? Well, dogs are going to run out. So, at least they can help us secure some out here so it's not so chaotic. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Everything that I heard is small. Okay, cool. So, no like Okay. Holy Wow. As for the Ogden City Police, they probably anticipated that it was a serious situation, but no one could have imagined finding dozens of dogs running free in such a small house. When they cracked the door open, they had a hint of how bad things were, but it wasn't until they went inside that they saw the whole picture. Ogden City Police, search warrant. Come to the door. Ogden City Police, we're inside. Make yourself known. We have a search warrant. I was expecting like four balls, man. Just keep going so we can push in. OPD, come here. MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN. All right. Clear now. You want to back out? Yeah. You want a mask out? The stench of ammonia hit them instantly and it was nearly impossible to breathe. The cops and animal control had to suit themselves up and also wear masks. Before getting the dogs out, they had to make sure nobody else was inside. Dude, that's unbearable. The um it was burning my eyes. >> Yeah. All right, I'm going to go in as far as I can. Yeah, I'm going to go. Quick. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. OPD, SEARCH WARRANT. >> [laughter] >> OPD, SEARCH WARRANT. OPD, come here. MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN. ALL CLEAR. DOGS ARE IN HERE. DOGS ARE IN HERE. THAT'S the front door. All right, back out. Are we clear? Yeah. No upstairs? Oh, sweet Jesus. All clear. All clear. No, there's like 100 dogs in there. In total, in that very small house, they found 157 dogs and 11 cats. It was hard to imagine how Miguel could live in such a place. Once the house was cleared, it was up to animal services to take charge. But the question was, how would they transport so many animals and where would they take them to? So, it's mostly dogs. Once you Once you start coming this way towards the front of the house and wrap around where the front door is, there's a room on that side. There's mainly all cats in there. How many? 10? And they're little kitties, too. So, I mean, there's just a bunch of stuff stacked up everywhere and they're on top of it, on things, underneath things, so there could be a lot more. There's just stuff all over. I want to keep my gloves tucked in. There's nowhere. Okay. So, does anything bring you Does anything They were just sniffing you guys. [clears throat] Yeah, just sniffing. Just kind of jumping up on us. I don't think they need cat bowls now. No. Okay. Like how do you guys go about bringing this? We just start loading. And we have someone with a trailer coming. Like in the like kennels or like Yeah, we've got kennels in our trucks and then we've got a horse trailer. That That's more than just a pet issue. That is a health hazard. The fact that they're living in there >> Yeah, that's Both men were charged with over 600 misdemeanors, including animal cruelty, public nuisance, and licensing violations. They both pled not guilty and their trial is still pending. As for the dogs and cats, according to media reports, most of them got adopted. In February 2024 in Florida, a search warrant was served to Samantha Lee White looking for digital evidence of alleged child [music] abuse. Those claims were refuted. However, the digital evidence did show something very disturbing. Samantha engaging in sexual activities with the family dog, but it wasn't even the most shocking revelation. Yeah. Just uh have her get the child and then come down and then you can So, get the child first and then read it. I'll follow her in there. When I come get the baby, I'll follow you in there. >> [snorts] >> Roger, shut up. >> [snorts] >> All right. Wait one second. You're walking too fast for me. Hold on. Here. While Samantha's husband, John, isn't seen in the footage, the cops later reported he took a very long time to exit the house. Still though, both Samantha and John cooperated with the police fully. Yeah. [laughter] Can you put her back in your crib? He's just laying in there now. Just You want to grab a blanket and stuff? Hey. Hey, buddy. Is that okay with you? For me, I have shoes. Yes, I can be out there. >> the door. Okay. All right. Ready? So, people came to protect us today. Yeah. I'm going to Let's be out here. >> back to like Yeah, right here where it's warm, our little All right. So, I'm going to read you this. We have a search warrant for the residence, okay? After Samantha took her child out of the house, the female officer read her the warrant. When she heard the words digital evidence and child sexual she suddenly had a panic attack. This is what we're searching [music] this house for. The law prohibits the criminal performance by a child controlled by Florida state statute 827.071 sub-section 5 of Florida state statute. The firm has [music] probable cause to believe and does believe that the property connected with the above-listed crime is currently being contained stored or concealed within the following [music] location. And the following auto items is what we're going to be looking for. Images or videos of child engaged in conduct defined in Florida state statute [music] 827.071. I I don't understand. I I I can't Have you read this to me now? Okay. This morning and like I just woke up and I have no idea what's going on. Look We'll talk to you. I'm just reading you the search warrant. Do you understand? I Do you want to >> I think I didn't understand you. >> [music] >> Do you want me to keep reading or do you want to look at it yourself? I'll get it myself. As the reality of things sunk in, Samantha couldn't hold back her tears. As we said earlier, the child abuse allegations would later be proven false. However, it turned out the couple had a deep dark secret they never wanted anyone to know. What we're going to be looking for electronics basically that can Are you okay? I know this is a pretty hard I'm sorry. I made you worry about everything. That's what I just told her because I used I can't give him to Dad. I can't give him to anybody that I don't trust in life. >> [laughter] >> I just need to put him in the Um the judge [music] was this Well, I just read the final. You can look at it in a minute. The warrant was presented to the judge on the 14th, which was yesterday, who approved it. So, basically we're going to search as soon as the house is we're done, we'll turn it back over. We're going to talk to you about this Okay. Okay. You have any questions for us? At some point I need a water and use restroom. >> Okay. Yeah, we can do that. All [snorts] right. And then at some point I would also like to go in the little garden area just so I can set him down and he can play. Okay. Perfect. Even though Samantha had a very emotional reaction, she quickly composed herself. Strangely, she didn't look surprised whatsoever when the officer mentioned digital evidence of a sexual act. In an interview later, she would admit to having a fascination with the anatomy of a horse. Yeah. Is there anywhere we can put the dogs um besides that space while we're here? Or like do Are they allowed outside? >> I can let them out over here and then they they they'll be trapped in there and they'll be Will that be okay with you? Yes. It'll just help us >> prefer me No, we we would prefer you to go in there. I just don't know how they would react to Okay. Are you able to help do that right now? I sure am. When we go in, is there a way I can just get a sip of water before he gets up? For sure. Can you get me a glass of water before he gets up? Let's dance. Yeah? Yeah, Brandy knows. It's okay. They're friendly. They're very friendly. >> Yeah, I'm not worried. We are not worried. We deal with dogs all the time. All right. One's going to come right away and then the other >> gates closed, right? Yeah, I think they just closed it. They're going to come this way, John? They're going to come out? Hey boy. Hey boy. Hey. The cops discovered John's phone in a toilet. From the man's phone, they recovered images and video showing Samantha having sexual contact with the family dog. Even stranger, John later admitted that he was the one filming it. Both of them were charged. While John's case is pending, Samantha was sentenced to 3 years in prison followed by 3 years probation. On the 21st of April, 2022, in Clearwater, Florida, the cops were alerted that a puppy was being abused on a public beach. The officers found the puppy limping in the parking lot and they were pointed by a family member toward the perpetrator, a man named Noah. How you doing? You all right? What's going on today? Nothing. I I bumped the dog. I barely like cuz I was eating. I didn't have no hand room. And I barely like I smooshed the dog on his I barely I barely kicked it. Oh, okay. >> It didn't hurt it. Where Where's the dog? It's up there. They took it to the car. Is it your dog? Yeah. It's our dog. Oh, okay. I'm sorry. Our dog. Got you. And I And I barely scooted it on it like you know, like this. Cuz it was sitting there eating off the plate. Uh-huh. And she let it She Our kid she sat there and let the dog eat. All right. Are you aware that you're not allowed to have dogs in the sand anyway? Yeah? >> And grill. And grill? >> And drink. And drink alcohol? That ain't mine. Oh, it's not yours? No, that's not mine. Okay. >> threw it up there. >> What's in the cooler right there? Oh, the dog up there. That's water. WATER AND AS the officer questioned Noah, his colleague interviewed the woman who made the call. Not surprisingly, they had very different accounts of what happened. Somebody was clearly lying and it was easy to tell who had the motive to lie. You have no alcohol at all? No, we don't drink. >> That's not mine. No, this is just there. Okay. And that one back there is just there. Okay. So, you you seen the whole thing, ma'am? Yes, I My daughter and I both saw Can you just explain it to me again? Yes. The dogs The dog stole piece of bread. They were barbecue or whatever that was. >> Yeah, and he barbecued it. Yeah, and and the dog went to get it and he Hold on. He kicked it. Okay. How many times did he kick it? Twice. And then the woman Was it hard or what? Yes, it's hard. The dog yelled. Okay. And then he yanked it out of the tent, started dragging it to the fence up here to this fence. And he was sitting there for a while over the other side of the wall. And then when he told her that they were fighting back and forth across the wall, and then he kept walking back here and they were fighting again. And she just threw the leash down and the dog ran to the left. And then um whenever she yelled at him, he picked it up again and kicked it. Okay. Um how did he I know, I got to get very specific. How did he How did he kick it? Just like straight on like that. Straight on like that. The officer pressed the woman for more details, but the witness was quite clear. She insisted the man kick the puppy really hard. And even worse, he did so while the little dog was still on the leash. Foot kick. Yeah. Foot kick. Yeah, foot kick. And then he tossed it over that wall. The the um cinder block wall? Yes, the cinder block wall. >> Threw it over. Did anyone catch it? Nope. He dropped the rope? Did he go back around over and go grab it? >> he come over and then grabbed it. Yep. And just threw him over once? >> Yep, just once. All right, ma'am. Thank you so much. Uh thanks for calling us. Yeah, I'm sorry. No, I This is I I feel bad for dogs. >> I I have six. So, I'm I'm I got you. I don't have any, but I'm I love dogs. Somebody said I threw the dog over the fence. I never threw the dog over. Did they pat him down for any weapons or anything? Do you have any weapons on you? You don't got no weapons or knives or guns or nothing on you? He's just standing out here for a second. We're patting him down to make sure he's not armed. Just make sure we're patting him down for weapons. Yeah. All right. Now you're just going to be detained. You understand that? What the I didn't even know. I said you're just being detained. All right. All right. The cops assured the man he was only being detained, though most likely he was going to be arrested. He was then patted down for weapons, needles, and other dangerous items. Okay. So, we got a call out here today that a gentleman identified as yourself, was actively kicking a dog and then threw him over the little wall that's over there. All right, a little puppy, whatever the dog is, okay? I don't know the breed. What's that? Can I stop you right there real quick? Well, you can, but do you want me to just get through real quick and then you could have your your rebuttal. All right, so that that again, that's how the call came out. All right, so we responded here. You were identified by several witnesses as somebody who was seen actively kicking the dog and then threw him over the wall there. Whether that be a toss or an actual throw, again, several witnesses identified you, saw you do it, okay? The dog is over there, obviously, with the rest of everybody. I barely nudged the dog to get off the plate cuz my kid was eating and I said, "Hey, get off the plate." Okay. Despite his disbelief, the suspect clearly thought he'd done nothing wrong, that he downplayed the kick by merely calling it a nudge. According to the witness, he'd also harshly pulled the dog's leash. But according to this guy, it wasn't that big of a deal. At any point Did you kick the dog over that way? >> No. All things considered with the camera and witnesses, you did not at at all No, I did not kick the dog over there. Cuz here's the deal, when I review that footage, and it's being sent to me now, all right, if anything in your story is inconsistent, you're going to jail. Anything. Anything. If you tell me you didn't kick the dog and oh, well, maybe I actually did kind of scoot it over there, I'm going to take you to jail. No, I didn't kick the dog. >> When I pulled up, you said that you kicked the dog. No, I nudged the dog. I didn't football kick the dog. So >> getting up, I just barely nudged him. With your foot? >> Yeah, with my foot. I said, "Get." >> So you wouldn't consider that a kick? No, that's a nudge. A nudge, okay. They're all lying. Is that correct? Yeah. I didn't kick the dog like that. I didn't football kick him over. I pulled the dog because like I barely pulled him because he was sniffing food over there. Where'd you do that at? What? When I was passing? What? That big old hill right there. Right, so you did you did pull the dog. I I I didn't snatch him but he would oh I didn't snatch him. I I said, "Come on." The officer warned the suspect one more time. If the video footage proved he was lying, they'd prosecute the man to the fullest extent of the law, not only for the use of the barbecue, but also for bringing a dog to the beach. Hey. Come here. Somebody said that I threw the dog. I've been reporting the whole time. I'm suing this house. Okay. Cuz this is lies. No, they said I went over there, right there where that gate is, and I pulled the dog. Snatched him. And uh and I threw the dog over the fence and I kicked him real hard. No, you didn't. Well, man, I I'll explain it to you in a second, okay? So he's going to jail for a long time. Right now, he's being detained, okay? And I'll tell you why in a second. Perhaps Perhaps can I can I talk to you separately? We got a call about Noah actively kicking and pulling a dog and throwing it over a wall. And and I don't mean like, you know, basketball, you know, throwing, but like, you know, tossing over a wall. All right, these are multiple people calling 911. Like, oh, this is an emergency, this dog's actually getting hurt. Is he okay? Let me say something. I paid almost $2,000 for that dog. Why would I let anybody hurt him? I understand. >> [screaming] [crying] >> Okay, did he kick the dog? He didn't kick him, he booted him in the butt because he was eating out of my daughter's plate. >> Okay, well, that would be a kick to some degree. Since Noah was adamant that he didn't hurt the dog, the officer explained that even pulling the dog's leash forcefully could be deemed animal abuse. Even so, the man kept saying he was just disciplining his dog. And him being tossed over a wall, again, this is unacceptable behavior for a dog that was not only witnessed by several people on the beach, >> [crying and screaming] >> but also our surveillance footage, okay? And I told him if he's lying to me, I'm just going to take him to jail. And he's already lying to me because I know Well, he didn't kick him. >> [crying] >> I know that. He didn't kick him. Okay. Well, all right, well, I just want you to think I, you know, at least give you the courtesy of explaining why he's detained right now, okay? Okay. So we got to figure out the rest of our investigation and of course, you know, if you wanted or whatever you said you wanted to sue or whatever, that's fine, but again, just This doesn't make no He was not even >> [crying] >> Okay, well, as you know, you know, no dogs no dogs allowed on the beach, all that stuff anyway, so Well Anyway, it was not allowed then also. And again, the grilling and the alcohol, all right, but So I understand. Don't drink alcohol. All right. They charged Noah with cruelty to animals, which is a misdemeanor. It carries a fine of up to $5,000 and potentially a year in prison. He later played no contest, which meant the man didn't contest the charges, but also does not admit guilt. Animal cruelty can take many forms. Sometimes it's kicking a puppy and tossing it over a fence. Other times, it's leaving a dog in a hot car in scorching heat. Both can be detrimental to an animal's health and sometimes, there can even be fatal results. >> [laughter] [laughter] [laughter] >> The officer quickly unlocked the car, freeing the golden retriever, who was relieved to be outside. The dog was placed in a squad car and given water. At some point, the owner came back and didn't seem to really understand how serious things were. Give me a Give me 1 second to think. Is this your car, sir? Yeah, it is. Okay. So this is registered to you. Yep. Where you going? Right here. She's in the back of the For what? Your dog? Yeah. Okay. Give him a minute. It's in the back of my car. There's AC on in there. Okay, good. Dogs don't sweat like humans do. When they're hot, they mostly rely on panting to cool themselves down. And if trapped in a small area with little or no ventilation, it's not enough to cool them down. That's why the retriever was at risk of getting heatstroke, which is often fatal. Here, can we get the dog some water or is he good or what? Yeah, he's good. We can give the dog water, but I have to watch him. Yeah, yeah. Uh he might try and run out. He doesn't like the dog. Baby, wait, wait, wait. What do you have, baby? Come on. Good boy. Okay. Okay. Take a break. So I do just have to talk to you before I ask you any kind of questions or anything like that, I have to let you know of your your rights, okay? So before we start, I'm required to warn you before you make any statement that you have the following [music] constitutional rights. Do you understand? Yeah. Okay. So that being said, I do have a couple of questions. Um the dog that was this this vehicle, this is your vehicle, correct? Okay. And so the dog that was inside the vehicle, that's your dog, correct? What's the dog's name? His Tripo Jangles. With a name like that, it's clear the owner affectionately cared for his dog. However, even if it was unintentional, he still put his dog in very grave danger. The question was, did he not know any better or was he just being careless? Do you know how old uh He's three. Mr. Bojangles is? Three. How long have you had him for? Since he was a puppy. Uh 10 weeks. When when did you leave him in the car? Is what I'm trying to ask. >> Last night. Last night. So you left him last night. Yeah. So what what reason did you leave him here in the car? He's fine in the car for like an hour or so. Did you leave him any kind of water, food, anything like that in the car? >> I walked him uh and I gave him water. What did you put the water in? Uh cup. Cup. Yeah. The suspect then told the officers that he left the dog in the car, not last night, but the previous day, late in the afternoon. The story was strange, however, and full of contradictions. It almost sounded like he really wasn't sure what had happened. I left him in the afternoon, late afternoon. You told me that you left him last night. I said I was looking for him last night. Right. So how would you have been looking for him last night but didn't leave him? Obviously, you would have had to leave him if you were looking for him, correct? Yeah, he was in the car. Right. Uh so I was looking for at for him. Mhm. And then you couldn't find him, correct? >> him. Right. And so I gave [music] up. I uh fell asleep. Uh last night and at 2:00 this morning I started to look for my dog. Okay, where So, from 6:00 [music] until you came back over here in the car, where were you? Where was I? >> Yeah. Uh at my fishing shack. The man's story only makes sense if he forgot where his car was or if he forgot he left the dog in the car and then went looking for him. Luckily, the man's nephew got involved and explained what was really going on. Uh you know, I My heart is broken, you know, from sleeping in the Okay. Have you ever Has this ever happened before? No. No. It's my uncle. He's your uncle? He is not well. Okay. He uh He kind of disappeared. Um Went all the way up to New York, back into Florida. He's like not mentally there anymore. Okay. >> of like fell apart. Um And today my mom called me while I was at work saying that my uncle just appeared at her house. Just walked up with nothing. So, what's going to happen is animal care is here, okay? So, they have to take the dog. Okay. All right, they're going to call you once they [music] once they check the dog out. So, once the dog is determined to be okay to be released. So, once they get the dog out of my car, you'll go into my car. The nephew didn't resist. He just really looked confused. The nephew's story actually made sense and explained why the man just couldn't explain exactly why or when he'd left his beloved dog trapped in the car. Why am I being arrested? Because of [music] how you left the dog. Okay? The dog was left for an extended period of time in the vehicle with no water, no food, no nothing. We had a call about a dog and I got here and the dog was clearly in distress, okay? He had water uh There was no water when I was here. [music] Twice last night. Okay. Well, it's also South Florida and it's extremely hot and sunny, okay? So, for him to be in that car all day by himself with no water, no nothing, okay? Cases like this are always hard to resolve. Mr. Bojangles was clearly put in danger, but it wasn't out of cruelty. The question is, should a dog be taken from an owner who clearly loves him or should a second chance be given, maybe under supervision? If you can, let us know your thoughts in the comments. Just a month after Mr. Bojangles had a close call, a similar thing happened in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was the 10th of June and the cops responded to another dog trapped in a car, but this time the dog wasn't as friendly. >> [music] [music] [screaming] >> Uh yeah, he lunged at me and then And the leash is right down there. I don't know if he can Hey, [snorts] baby. You okay, honey? There we go. Come on, baby. How'd you come? There you go, honey. Here's some water. Luckily for the officers, the dog was only aggressive because it felt trapped. Once they got him out of the car, he stopped snarling and turned into a calm and shy, but curious little dog. You thirsty, honey? I'm sure you are. Some water? Okay. You want more? Come on, baby. Come on, let's go and get out of it. You guys don't happen to have any like disposable cup or something to put water in? Yeah, I have I know it's not that serious. Try. You think something will happen? You know what? I think that I'm going to sue. The cop on scene here clearly had some previous experience with dogs and understood how to read the dog's body language. When she realized the dog had calmed down, she even tried to pet him. Oh, now you're nice. Yeah. Yeah. Like that for always. Thank you, aw. Hey, baby. You okay? Aw, perfect. Thank you. Like what [snorts and laughter] is that? Thank you. Come on, honey. Come on, baby. >> [laughter] >> Come on. You need to chill. He needs to chill. I'll see you later. You good up here? You need help? Come on, honey. You need to chill, boy. After the dog was nice and comfy enjoying the squad car's air conditioning, the owner of the car showed up. The cops are about to learn why she left the dog in the car and if the dog was really hers. Okay. Um you want us to go over here to rather him? Um is that your [clears throat] car or is it [laughter] my company car? I want to ask you a couple questions about what happened today. I got to read you like the civil first. Come here and let me talk to her and ask her some questions. Okay. So, what happened? So, what what are you doing here? What did you say you were sitting on me for an hour? Okay. And I was coming straight from from Gainesville, Florida. Are you okay? I'll come here back. Let's put you down. What kind of meeting was it? Uh urban forestry council. Okay. So, it was like a work related meeting or what? No, it's just a And anybody can be on the urban forestry council, but I you know, because of the most of the arbors and electric and energy and a lot of city contracts, so Okay. So, it's kind [snorts] of like a public interest meeting? Was that what it Yeah. Far too often, a quick 1-hour meeting drags on 2 hours or more and every extra minute that's spent in a hot car might be the difference between life and death for a dog. Once again, here's another pet owner who's unaware of the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars. What time did the meeting start? It was like 5:30. 5:20 maybe. Okay. We were early to meet them up. Okay. Um So, what time did you get here? It couldn't have been any later than 5:15, 5:20. Okay. Um you said the camera, right? You could see what time we got here. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Cuz um we got the call around 6:15 and the dog was in the car for over an hour. By the time you know what? I got here like 5:20. It was in over an hour. Um okay. So, where do you live at? Okay. I was parked in front of everyone else. So, why did you take the dog home? I was like running late. I've been having so many meetings today. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. You know she's been an hour. You know how hot it is out right now? Okay. Do you know how hot it gets in the car? When the cop pointed out that despite the heat, she'd only slightly cracked the windows, Melissa admitted that she'd done it on purpose. She was worried that if the window was open, somebody might reach inside. So, you you're saying this meeting was so important that you're willing to risk your dog's life over? No. Um I was I won't do it again. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm going to give him some water. That's good. Thank you. For what? I'm going to book you. Oh, no. Wait, you got anything on you you shouldn't have on you? You got your purse and stuff in your pocket? I don't have anything. Did you put your purse in the car or what? Yeah, with the black bag. Is there anything in the car that you need? I don't know if anything I have is what you need. Are you going to borrow it now? Okay. Nothing in your lap anymore? No. I still have the dog. Do you want to take her home here or do you want to take the dog? Melissa didn't resist the officers and [music] seemed disappointed that it had to happen. But then suddenly, she blurted the truth out. The dog wasn't even hers and she was just dog sitting for someone else. I'm pet sitting for this dog. So, she's not even your dog? It's a boy. He can't be a girl. He's He's not your dog? No, it's my dog for the weekend. Okay. So, what's your name? Amber. What's your last name? Where does she live at? She is at her apartment. Okay. How do you spell her last name? It's her uh Um I can't Um could you read my glasses? So, it's a message. Are you bringing her here? Okay. Is she a friend of yours or Yeah. We'll find her. Just relax. Okay. I told her. So, when did you get it off? Thursday evening. And when will you take that off? Friday. >> it up back up this Friday. Coming Friday? I'll go see him, take him home today, which was like the whole issue because um It was a flight that got delayed and canceled. Yeah, that's her business card. Melissa was taken to Pinellas County Jail and they charged the woman with cruelty to animals. Ultimately, she made a pretrial diversion arrangement with the state of Florida. Melissa was ordered to pay a $50 fine, take a course on animal cruelty, and do 25 hours of community service. Some acts of animal cruelty are the result of ignorance or carelessness. However, this case was far worse. Strangely, if not for a power outage, it might have gone undetected. On March 16th, 2024, an electrician came to a house to reconnect the power and noticed a mistreated dog in a crate and also several animals lying around. We got a call. I don't know if it's from a neighbor or somebody else that was concerned. I I'm not sure if it was for the kids or for the I I'm guessing some of the thing maybe something something for the dog. Said that your kennel was outside, the dog was inside, but there was So, what was the thing? Do you have a dog? Yes, [music] my brother. Brother? So, my side? >> Yeah, my brother's side. So, the dog was outside, but they had a bunch of dead animals around the dog? I don't know. Where's the dog at? I don't know where he at. Does he He knows y'all? Yes. >> Y'all Could y'all come with us and Is that way he's not too shocked? I mean, he sees somebody he knows. Yeah, I don't know where he at. Oh, I'm just explaining to Oh, wait. After commenting that someone had been nosy, the woman followed the cops around the house. And the moment they stepped around the corner, a dog started barking. Seconds later, they found what they were looking for. Hey, puppy. I told The cat. They got a dog. Is that dog? I guess like a It's a some kind of dog. What's your brother at? Where's your brother at? He's not I told you to call him. He's not at home right now. At home? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, the dog doesn't have any food or water. You can't stay in a cage like that. I just fed them this morning at 8:00 before. Do you want me to uh call him? Yeah, call him. If he can't come home, it would be best. Well, you go ahead and notify animal control. We got one deceased It's either cat or dog small dog inside of kennel and then another dog is getting no food or water. The owner is not here. The neighbor is a family and they're going to call him. Actually, there's no one While radioing dispatch to get urgent assistance from animal control, the officer noticed another deceased dog hidden under some bushes. At the very same time, the woman got in touch with her brother and asked him to come home. He's on his way. Okay. Do you know anything about these dogs? No, um I live in the old apartment. This is his apartment. He can just How long's he lived here now? He used to live in our old apartment in So, he's moved next to the same building next door. Yes. Okay. Is he coming? Yeah, he's on his When did he move over here? Um Like week or month or Just a good guess. Do you know the month? I don't know the exact day. So, within about 2 weeks or so? Yeah. Okay. You've never seen these dogs before? No, I've seen these dogs before, yeah. This dog here? Yeah. You don't know what happened to it? No, cuz I don't take care of them cuz we Well, we we used to take care of them when we were in the old apartment. But once he moved here, I don't come to his apartment. What about that dog? Underneath the bush. There's a small deceased one there. The woman explained that her brother used to have even more dogs, but he'd sold the others. What's really sad is that a person who treats animals like this is in the business of selling them. As the cops documented the scene, they noticed something moving. So, what's the big one here that's sitting in the kennel? What's his name? Do you know his name? Oh, Aslan. Aslan? Yeah. The male Yes, male. Do you know what the name for this one was? No. Oh, they didn't really have names cuz he sold the other ones. Yeah. Do you have anything you called them by or did How How you told them apart when they were both together? This one's moving. They still Is Is the arm is moving. Looks like he's got worms, intestinal worms. Are there any other animals inside? No. What's your brother's name? Kevin. Do you know his name? State. 2002. All right. Is anybody else living here with him or is he just by himself now since he moved in? Just his um girlfriend, but right now his girlfriend is um having a baby. He's She's been at the mom's house cuz she's sick. The cops were eager to meet Kevin and arrest him, but they also questioned Kevin's sister about his girlfriend, Vanessa. She'd been living with him for some time now and must have witnessed how he treated his dogs. As they were talking, animal control arrived on scene. Right here on your left. So, the pups in the kennel here. Got an adult here. And then the deceased pup there. This one has moved. Yeah, I don't know if he And I took Okay. Um so, as it is now, just uh just to get him medical attention, um I'm going to collect all the animals just because this warrants me collecting them. And I've got video pictures from my partner. >> Okay, awesome. I'll take your card. Um and then Oh, you are still alive. So, yeah, let me go ahead and collect some of these and then I may have to leave just to see if I can save the puppy. Yeah. Um and then the owner, when they show up, you can let them know to come talk to me, but 100% this dude probably cost two animal cruelty. What if he stuck them out there when this one died? Yeah, very well could be that those worms not from this puppy, could be from this one. It's okay. We got somebody to help you, hon. He's a little pity. The animal control officer wasted no time at all. He first picked up the emaciated puppy. The poor little puppy was clinging for dear life and time was of the essence. Then the officer came back for the deceased puppy and the adult dog. Just as he wrapped up and hurried to the vet, that's when the owner came back. Are you Kevin? Yeah, I'm Kevin. Okay, so you're saying you used to live over here with your sister and you moved over here about 2 weeks ago? Yeah, I barely got 2 weeks here. Really? Yeah, that's like close to She said it was a little after March 1st. >> when I got the mouse out cuz I I needed to build a cage. Okay. [music] Well, >> papers if you want them. I just fed them this morning, but since when I leave them outside, you know how there's little animals, that's what happened, I think. I had to see it. I had two. But I sold one cuz I didn't want it, so I kept one. What's it called since it's a little small? What's it called? Probably that's why, but I don't know. I got the paper for the big one if you want it. Your problem is the the smallest [music] one that was was wasn't in the kennel. It was up under the bush. Under the bush? >> Under the bush. It wasn't in the kennel. It's been for a while for a while. Now, that's what the the animal control said. Animal control? >> Yeah, he he's not been doing good for a while. They're saying something that happened just from this morning. The other one barely live, may not make it either. Yeah, I be feeding them. They They be feeding two, three times a day. It seemed like Kevin had a quick answer for everything, but there was no way to hide the fact that he'd mistreated his dogs. The cop was asking question after question and slowly he was running out of answers and excuses. The adult male over here doesn't have any food or water in this kennel. Why would he not have water in this kennel? >> Cuz when I take I take him out so he could have water and can like So, you got to have the food on the kennel and the in order for them He can't have He ain't had any water since you've left. That's That's un Cuz I don't keep it I don't keep it outside cuz you know how those don't You can't keep them loose. You can't >> you didn't say anything about keeping them in the kennel, but he's got to have some kind of water or something to be able to access all the time. I understand. I'm I'm The puppy Probably both of them are not going to Well, animal control just took the adult because he's not in good condition either. And the two the one puppy's the other one's probably going Okay, what I do with the big one? The big one? Animal control has him. You'll have to talk to them about see if they will let you get him back. Because at this point, it really looks like it with no water stuff over there for the puppies, that's animal cruelty. And they And one is They be They be eating. I just be taking them out and putting them back in. Well, they're going to do a animal necropsy to verify. When confronted about the worms, Kevin said the previous owner had taken the puppies to the vet and that they were all given shots. Possibly the most disturbing thing was that when the cop mentioned the dead puppy several times, not once did the man flinch or show any kind of remorse or sympathy. Instead, Kevin even smirked. What was up with the the little dog? Some animal that keep like you know little animals that are from a They keep coming to bother my little dogs. That's what probably that's what happened. The one in [music] the cage? Yeah, since they small and you know little big animals, they wouldn't resist all whatever attack. They still make since they were When you left where where you left, were the both the puppies in the same kennel? Were were Were both puppies put in kennels or what? The other one was just left out under the bush on his own. They were in the in the cage. Is anybody this They were in the cage. Probably some animal or something. No animal let them out. They had the the doors tied shut, [music] so Cuz the door probably opens, you know. Now, that little bitty one has been for a while. Kevin seemed so confident that he even showed the cops how an animal could open the doors and take the puppy out. But the cops quickly dismantled his claims and proved he was lying. Yeah, puppy didn't get out on their own. Cuz they sometimes open it by themselves. It wasn't open. It was against the table and the animal control had to force open that door right there to try to get into get in get in to get the puppy out. All right, and the little bitty one was laying right there. >> [music] >> Where? Underneath. >> It was laying right there where that circle is. You can see the All right, um Well, I got him from someone, so Papers doesn't deny the fact that It just shows that you're the owner of it. That's what that would show. Yeah, two you have one one one and one and then one left without food and water. I fed them this morning. I feed them three times a day. And food's fine, but but not but leaving I got the right to know who who called the cops. No. Doesn't matter who called. Kevin seemed more concerned about who called the cops than taking any responsibility for the suffering of his dogs. By that point, the cops had seen and heard enough and it was time to take this guy to jail. So, right now you're placed under arrest for animal cruelty. What? You can't leave dogs out here. Wait, let me check out my Yeah, go ahead. Bring your mother [ __ ] One second. Can I talk to my mom first? Well, she can come out and talk to you. I don't have a problem with that. Wait. Put a safety lock so they don't pinch your wrist, okay? And I'll be reaching inside. Nope. No, she can she can She can have it, but she doesn't give it out until we give it to her first. Make sure that we have to make sure there's nothing in there illegal. If you want her to have your money and your phone and stuff, that's fine. Should be crying for Should be crying for the two dogs that are about there. The cops tried to calm his girlfriend down by explaining she could pay a bond so he could soon go home. But instead of easing the tension, it just stirred things up until Kevin himself was in tears. But as the cop pointed out, the real tragedy was the fate of the dogs. >> [laughter] >> Ma'am, I need you to step back. Give her a little time and she'll calm down. No, she She'll get to see her. Yes, she can see her. Yes, she'll She can talk to you. You can call her on the phone right there, too, okay? >> [laughter] [laughter] >> It's okay. It's okay. Give her a moment. Tell her you're okay. You'll get a bond. You'll be able to get out. Explain to her in in Spanish that you will get a bond and you will get out. >> [laughter] >> The baby. They arrested Kevin and he was later charged with animal cruelty. While heading to the jailhouse, Kevin told the officer that he was actually a police informant. The cop just shrugged his shoulders and explained to the man that it wasn't going to help him now. Some people should never be allowed to have a pet. Caring for another living thing is a privilege and it's only reserved for responsible people. 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