LAS VEGAS -- Two animal control officers charged with protecting man's best friend are instead being accused of abusing two dogs. According to several people present at a recent eviction, the officers used unnecessary force against the dogs who appear to have been left behind by their owners.
The dogs, they say, were not at all aggressive. Yet the alleged treatment they received from two Las Vegas Animal Control officers resulted in a trail of blood that could be seen more than a week later.
"It's difficult in the dirt, but you can see from the garage, you can see the trail of blood down the driveway and then it comes right through here. They came through this gate, got in the trucks," said witness Randy Reyes.
A puddle of blood still marks the spot.
"They made it a point to cover it up with their feet when they were done," said Reyes.
Although images obtained by the I-Team from in and around the foreclosed home seem reminiscent of crime scene photos. Reyes, who is a real estate professional, explains the victim is a dog, and not a person.
"We couldn't see what was happening because they were behind the shed. You could hear the wailing and the screaming from the dog as if something were happening to it. You don't know what, you just hear it," he said.
Neighbors on Ophir Street heard it too, and were so disturbed they took shots to document the vehicles parked at the house. In addition to Reyes, and a locksmith hired to secure the property, two Las Vegas Constables, and the two animal control officers were present at the eviction. But the only ones home were the two dogs, apparently abandoned by their owners.
"When the dogs came up to the gate on the side of the house there, she basically pulled out a foot long shock stick -- like a taser or something -- and just shocked the dogs right through the gate before even making any attempt to catch the dogs or do anything," said Reyes.
According to Reyes, the officer explained that shocking the dogs helped her to determine whether they'd be aggressive. Reyes claims they were anything but.
"I could see the dog was fine before. I was petting one of them. The other dog was barking -- it wouldn't come near. But after she tased it, it wasn't going to come near anybody," he said.
After 10 minutes of chasing, followed by yelps and cries and wails from the animals, witnesses say the animal control officers emerged with the bloodied shepherd mix. Witnesses say the blood seeped out from the back of the truck onto the ground while officers chatted for another half hour.
"They basically just sat in their trucks facing each other, talking through the windows. Meanwhile, the dog is just sitting in the back bleeding out," said Reyes.
According to Lied Animal shelter, where the dogs remain on a courtesy eviction hold, neither has any obvious injuries. Though the shepherd's coat has spots of dried blood.
Both constables say they saw the animal control officers acting appropriately and suspect the bleeding was the result of the dog biting the catch pole. Reyes wondered if the dog survived and hopes that by speaking out, others will question whether the officers acted humanely.
"While we were in shock and, 'Oh my goodness, I can't believe this just happened to them,' it was just a normal thing. It was a big joke," said Reyes.
The City of Las Vegas says that we are the first to bring the incident to its attention… and it's now investigating. Reyes says he and several others tried to file a complaint with animal control, but were told they could not because they're not the dog's owners. The city spoke on behalf of the animal control officers, and that investigation is just beginning.
As for the dogs, if the owner does not pick them up, then Lied will evaluate them to see if they are adoptable this Saturday.
