Animal Abuse: Puppy found with mutilated ears - Albuquerque , NM

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Case ID: 16676

Classification: Mutilation/Torture

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

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Puppy found with mutilated ears
Albuquerque , NM (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Oct 15, 2010
County: Bernalillo

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Peter Barraza, Jr.

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Police need help finding two men who have been selling mutilated puppies out of a box in southwest Albuquerque.

City officials learned about the abuse after a woman turned in a pit bull puppy to the West Side animal shelter because its ears were infected. The woman says she bought the puppy for $25 from two men near 98th and Sage Road.

Officials believe the men used scissors to crop the puppies' ears and tails. The men could face animal cruelty charges.

Anyone with information can call (505) 242-COPS.

Case Updates

Police now question the original story of how "Baby" ended up with badly cut, infected ears.

They no longer believe Baby's owner, Miranda Aguilar, was telling the truth when she said she bought the 2-month-old puppy from two men who had already cropped the dog's ears, according to the Mayor's Office and court documents.

Instead, an arrest warrant has been issued for the man they think is Aguilar's boyfriend, 18-year-old Peter Barraza Jr. He is accused of extreme cruelty to animals, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Police arrested him Thursday, officials said.

"We do believe (Aguilar) fabricated the whole entire story about the puppies being sold out of the box," mayoral spokesman Chris Ramirez said. "We believe she was fully aware that Mr. Barraza had been responsible for cropping" Baby's ears.

Baby, a pit bull mix, is getting medical care at Albuquerque's West Side animal shelter, where she has been kept while she recovered. Ramirez said she will be adopted out to a family this afternoon.

Source: Albuquerque Journal - Oct 22, 2010
Update posted on Oct 22, 2010 - 4:04PM

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Albuquerque police have arrested Peter Barraza Jr. accusing him of animal cruelty in sending a pit bull named "Baby" to get her ears clipped.

Police alleged Barraza, 28, had a former veterinarian do the work resulting in a shoddy job which left the dog's ears infected.

Barraza was arrested Thursday night and charged with extreme cruelty to animals, a fourth-degree felony.

Albuquerque Animal Control found the dog with the cropped ears last Friday and confronted the owner, Miranda Aguilar, who said she bought the dog that way from "two thugs."

That information was turned over to the city, which had Albuquerque police detectives investigate. Media attention helped generate a tip from a confidential informant, who said Aguilar made up the story and that Barraza had the dog's ears clipped.

The informant said the man who clipped the ears used to work at a veterinary facility. According to the criminal complaint that man has not been found and is only known as "Vete."

Police continue to look for the supposed former veterinarian and anyone else connected to the case.

The informant also told police that Barraza was afraid of being charged with the crime and researched possible penalties on the Internet for the charges he now faces.

The city said Aguilar has adopted a number of animals from the city shelter in the past and has been placed on a "do-not-adopt-to" list. Ramirez also says the woman's information was sent to the Animal Humane Association of New Mexico so that they too will refuse adoption to both Aguilar and her family members.

Source: krqe.com - Oct 22, 2010
Update posted on Oct 22, 2010 - 4:02PM

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Puppy found with mutilated earsAlbuquerque , NM (US)

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Puppy found with mutilated ears
Albuquerque , NM (US)