33 dogs rescued from box truck, SUV during Riverside County animal cruelty investigation
By Dean Fioresi
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RIVERSIDE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — More than 30 dogs were rescued from a box truck and an SUV in Murrieta in May during an animal cruelty investigation, police said.
The incident happened on May 1, when Murrieta Police Department officers said they were called to the 41000 block of Guava Street for reports of trespassing.
“What began as a routine call for service quickly developed into a significant animal cruelty investigation,” a social media post from Murrieta PD said.
Arriving officers found a 15-foot U-Haul truck that had parked on private property. Inside, they found 21 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels that were “confined within the vehicle’s enclosed cargo area,” which they said “lacked ventilation and air conditioning.”
Police said that many of the dogs appeared neglected as they had matted fur and limited access to food and water.
“Several of the female dogs were determined to be pregnant,” the post said. “Officers learned the animals had been left inside the enclosed vehicle for several hours.”
Riverside County Animal Control officers were contacted to assist with the incident and worked to remove the dogs from the truck one by one, police said.
While this was happening, police said that the suspect returned to the area in a separate SUV, which had an additional 12 dogs, bringing the total to 33 animals involved.
“Based on the circumstances of the investigation, the suspect was arrested on charges related to animal cruelty, animal abandonment, and leaving animals unattended in a vehicle,” police said.
On May 27, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office filed 21 felony counts of animal cruelty and two misdemeanor charges against the suspect, police said.
All of the dogs were taken to Animal Friends of the Valley in Lake Elsinore for treatment and care, according to police. At the time of their post on June 9, all 33 of the dogs remained in the custody of Animal Friends of the Valley.
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