$30,000 in Donations Pour In for 100+ Dogs Rescued From Mesquite RV as Court Date Set

The Mesquite Animal Shelter has received around $30,000 in donations since more than 100 dogs were rescued from an RV earlier this week, and a judge has ordered that one of the suspects remain in custody.

During a hearing Thursday, a Mesquite Justice Court judge set bail at $10,000 for Giustino Laudando and barred him from owning any animals. Laudando is due back in court on June 3.

Charges for co-defendant Michelle Santos are still pending. Laudando and Santos were arrested May 19 on eight felony counts of animal cruelty and more than 100 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect.

The shelter says many of the dogs require extensive medical attention, and some were pregnant when they arrived. Staff are still working through the legal process of determining ownership before any of the animals can be adopted.

As FOX5 Las Vegas reports, donations and supplies continue to pour in alongside the financial contributions. Once ownership is legally established, dogs that are healthy and up-to-date on vaccinations will become available for adoption.

Anyone who wants to support the shelter can call the Mesquite Police Department’s records division at (702) 346-6911.

This is the latest update in a case that has grown dramatically since it began. Police first recovered 77 dogs from an RV outside Mesquite last week, then seized 33 more and made the arrests on May 19, bringing the total number of animals tied to the case to 114.