More Than 100 Dogs Seized in Mesquite Animal Cruelty Case, Two Arrested
Police in Mesquite have seized more than 100 dogs from two people in a months-long animal welfare investigation, and the city’s animal shelter is now overwhelmed and asking the public for help.
Giustino Laudando and Michelle Santos were arrested Tuesday, May 19, and booked into jail on eight felony counts of animal cruelty and more than 100 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect, according to the Mesquite Police Department.
Officers first recovered 77 dogs from an RV last week. When police returned to make the arrests on Tuesday, they found 33 more dogs and took them into protective custody.
Police have put the total number of animals tied to the case at 114, a figure that includes puppies born after the rescue. Many of the dogs needed extensive medical attention, and some were pregnant when they were found.
All of the animals are now at the Mesquite Animal Shelter, which says it is overwhelmed and in urgent need of donations. Every dog will need medical care, vaccinations, and spay or neuter surgery.
The investigation began with repeated complaints from neighbors who reported a strong odor and the sound of dogs barking and crying. Mesquite law allows three dogs per household.
Over several months, police issued multiple citations for animal welfare violations, and Laudando was arrested twice before the dogs were removed. He was eventually evicted from his home.
Laudando told authorities he planned to leave the state with the animals, but officers later found he had moved onto remote public land outside city limits, still keeping every dog with him.
“15 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Sgt. Jaime Stout said of the case, as reported by Fox5 Las Vegas.
The scale of the case echoes other recent animal cruelty investigations in Southern Nevada.
In April, officers seized 35 dogs from a Las Vegas training facility in an alleged cruelty case, and dozens of those animals remain in custody as evidence.
Residents who want to help can contact the Mesquite Police Department’s records division at (702) 346-6911.
The Mesquite Animal Shelter is also accepting donations to cover the cost of feeding, housing, and treating the rescued dogs.