Court Date Set for Two Arrested in Las Vegas Dog Abuse Case

The two employees charged in the Working Dogs of Nevada animal abuse investigation are due in court on April 29.

John Johnstone and Tabitha Berube face felony charges of willful and malicious torture after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police seized 35 dogs from the facility earlier this month.

Both were arrested following a tip from a former employee who recorded video of training practices at the property.

Police began investigating in March after receiving the footage. Investigators reviewed it alongside Animal Protective Services before executing a search warrant and taking the pair into custody.

Arrest reports describe Johnstone lifting dogs off the ground by their leashes and using shock collars when animals failed to follow commands.

A former kennel tech who worked at the facility for two days before being fired said she witnessed a dog wearing four collars simultaneously, including two shock collars and a prong collar.

All 35 seized dogs were transferred to the Animal Foundation.

Since the arrests, multiple owners have come forward to reclaim animals they had entrusted to the facility for training or rehoming.

Among them was a Southern California pit bull rescue founder who drove hours to retrieve two dogs he had dropped off in January.

Johnstone and Berube’s next court appearance is April 29. No further charges have been announced.