Share:

Case Snapshot

Case ID: 16711

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

More cases in Cameron County, TX

More cases in TX

« Back to Search Results

Login to Watch this Case

Images for this Case

all 1 media files »

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

5 malnourished dogs found, one dumped in trash
Brownsville, TX (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Oct 25, 2010
County: Cameron

Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged: Ruben Salazar

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Five pit bull puppies were rescued Monday afternoon by local authorities, and their owner was charged with animal cruelty, officials said.

Brownsville police and animal control officers found the dogs in the rear part of a house on the 3100 block of Southmost Boulevard, said police spokesman Eddie Garcia.

Ruben Salazar, 27, was arrested and charged initially with five counts of cruelty to animals and one count of tampering with physical evidence, police records show.

Four of the five puppies appear are recovering from malnutrition and dehydration. The smallest, a female, is still not out of the woods, officials said.

On Tuesday morning, Salazar went before a municipal judge who upgraded one of the animal cruelty charges to state jail felony animal cruelty and dismissed the charge of tampering with physical evidence. Bail for Salazar was set at $22,000, and he was sent to the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center.

According to Garcia, the arrest took place when police responded to the home on Southmost Boulevard after receiving a call reporting several malnourished dogs.

Officers found two white dogs in a pen without food and with water that was "green in color with worms in it," a police report states.

In another area, police found two smaller brown pit bulls, also without adequate food and water, Garcia said.

While searching the area, police officers noticed a strong, foul odor coming from a nearby trash can and found another brown dog in even worse condition.

"The owner said he thought the dog was dead," Garcia said.

According to police records, the owner said two of the dogs had attacked the smaller one and he thought it was dead.

Brownsville animal control officers seized the dogs, and they were taken to the Brownsville Animal Regulation and Control Center, where animal control supervisor Robert Dippong said they were receiving proper medical care and nutrition.

The puppy that had been found in the trash can weighed less than 14 pounds; a dog of similar breed and age should weigh about 30 pounds, animal shelter technicians said.

When asked about the process for adopting the puppies, Dippong said the dogs must be kept at the shelter until the court system determines their fate.

"We'll have them here until the court system determines if we keep them or if they get turned over to the owner," he said. "If we keep them we can start looking into finding them a home."

Case Updates

References

• « Back to Search Results
  « TX State Animal Cruelty Map
  « More cases in Cameron County, TX

  Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.
  
  For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.