An elderly man allegedly abandoned a dog at a dump and poisoned another with anti-freeze, according to Nevada police.
Apolonio Aniceto, 85, from Pahrump, was arrested after Nye County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) located a dog that had been left to die at a dump last week.
In a Christmas Eve Facebook post, an NCSO spokesperson said a pitbull had been found “severely dehydrated and barely alive” at the dead animal pit at the Pahrump dump.
“It appears the animal was dumped and left to die. Animal control responded immediately and rushed the dog to the animal hospital where they are rendering aid,” the post added.
NCSO
An update post shared later the same day said the dog that had been rescued died despite the best efforts of doctors.
On Christmas Day, an NCSO spokesperson said Aniceto had been apprehended in connection with the abandoned Puppy as well as a second dog case.
It read: “Investigation revealed that Aniceto took the dog to the dump and abandoned her. During the arrest, deputies discovered another dog belonging to Aniceto.
“This dog was in bad shape and suffering some sort of unknown medical issue. Animal Control has taken that dog to an animal emergency room in Las Vegas where treatment is ongoing.”
It later emerged the second dog needed to be euthanized after being rushed to the emergency room in Las Vegas when it was found to have suffered from anti-freeze poisoning.
Aniceto was taken to the Nye County Detention Center where he was booked on two charges of animal abuse.
According to the Las Vegas Defense Group law firm, killing any animal in a willful and malicious way is classed as a category D felony.
Anyone convicted of the offense can face between one to four years in a Nevada state prison and up to $5,000 in fines.
Newsweek has contacted the NCSO for comment.
Newsweek has reported on other animal cruelty cases recently. Earlier this month, horrifying footage was shared that appeared to show a man beating a shark to death with a hammer in Florida.
The clip, first shared by Fox 35 News, was filmed on December 20 by a surfcam at Harbour House, a wedding venue in Indian Harbor Beach. It appeared to show a man hitting the shark in the head and gills with a hammer while another person watched.
After determining the shark was dead, the first man attempted to drag its body into the sea to let the water wash it away. The breaking waves kept returning it to the shore, however.