Two Bradenton men face animal cruelty charges after dog found hanging by collar

Two Bradenton men face animal cruelty charges after dog found hanging by collar

BRADENTON -- Two men face charges after one dog was found hanging from the top of a fence by its collar and three others showed signs of neglect, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

Rick Arenas-Arroyo, 20, and Pedro Arenas-Guadalupe, 40, were arrested at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday after detectives obtained warrants charging them each with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

Both men appeared before Circuit Judge Deno Economou for a first appearance hearing with the aid of a Spanish translator. Economou ordered them held on bonds totaling $20,000 each.

As a condition of their release, he also ordered the men not to have contact with any animals, especially dogs.

On Dec. 11, Bradenton police officers found a dog hanging from the top of a fence by its collar while responding to complaint about a dog in distress. Officers were able to free the dog.

Three more dogs were found living in "deplorable conditions" in outside dog enclosures, according to the Bradenton Police Department.

An investigation found the owner of the dog lived in the 900 block of 19th Ave West, according to the news release.

"The first enclosure had no food or water, broken glass on the ground, dog feces all over, a strong smell of urine and both dogs were infested with fleas and full of dirt," detective Lt. James Racky wrote in the release. "The second outside dog enclosure contained two smaller dogs. This enclosure had no food, dirty water, broken glass on the ground and dried feces and urine throughout."

Arenas-Arroyo and Arenas-Guadalupe reportedly admitted never getting medical treatment for the dogs and said they didn't have time for them, police said.

All four dogs were seized by police and placed in the custody of the Bradenton Police Department. The dogs were taken to the Humane Society of Manatee County for health evaluations where a veterinarian found they showed signs of neglect.

The dogs had skin issues and it was clear they had been outside a lot, according to Hildy Russell, director of finance and communication at the Humane Society of Manatee County.

"I don't think their owner had the resources or time or the education to take care of them," Russel said. "All four were heartworm positive and that is so easily preventable by a monthly pill. If they couldn't afford it, we have very low prices. We have a lot of resources and educational materials so people don't have to end up in a situation like this."

One of the dogs, a black female pit bull, had to be euthanized because it was too aggressive.

A second dog -- a female Chihuahua named Mariposa -- has been adopted. The other two dogs -- a female Papillon Chihuahua mix named Monarch and bulldog boxer mix named Steel -- are now up for adoption at Humane Society, 2515 14th St. W., Bradenton, according to police. For more information, call the Humane Society at 941-747-8808.

"They both have wonderful temperaments," Russell said. "They would make wonderful family dogs."

Anyone having more information about this case can call Bradenton police officer Lixa Moyett at 9410932-9309 or remain anonymous and eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 by calling Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 7:43 PM with the headline "Two Bradenton men face animal cruelty charges after dog found hanging by collar ."