DHS Praises Clark County for Handing Over Working Dogs of Nevada Abuse Suspect to ICE
The federal government has formally weighed in on the Working Dogs of Nevada case, with the Department of Homeland Security publicly praising Clark County for transferring one of the two suspects to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis issued a statement on May 6 specifically highlighting the case. “This disgusting criminal tortured dogs at the shelter where he worked,” Bis said.
“Thanks to the cooperation of Clark County officials who honored the ICE detainer, this freak is in ICE custody.”
John Young Cotter Johnstone, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was arrested on April 1 by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department following a month-long animal cruelty investigation.
A DHS release today highlights "an illegal alien facing felony charges for animal torture" who was arrested by LVMPD and is in ICE custody.
— Mini Racker (@MiniRacker) May 4, 2026
Fits Trump campaign messaging focusing on deporting criminals — and not the crackdown that's cost voter support.https://t.co/Gd9CPdI5B7
According to DHS, he entered the United States legally in 2021 through the Visa Waiver Program and was required to leave by February 2022, but did not.
ICE issued a detainer the same day Johnstone was arrested. Clark County honored it the following day and transferred him into federal custody.
Johnstone now faces four felony charges related to the torture and mutilation of animals. His co-defendant, Tabitha Berube, appeared virtually at an April 29 status check hearing and remains free on bond.
The case began after a former employee provided LVMPD with videos allegedly showing Johnstone using shock collars on dogs, lifting animals off the ground by their leashes, and swinging dogs in the air. A third dog, Astro, was found with injuries to his neck.
Thirty-one dogs seized from the facility remain under a legal hold at The Animal Foundation while the criminal case moves through the courts. The next court date is June 24.
One dog, now called Sarge, has been placed with a south Las Vegas trainer and is receiving the behavioral work his owner originally sought. The remaining 31 cannot be adopted or permanently rehomed until the case resolves.
The DHS statement adds a new dimension to a case that has already prompted calls for mandatory licensing of dog trainers in Nevada. For a full timeline of events, see our original report on the April 1 seizure of 35 dogs from the facility.