LAS VEGAS — The owner of a local dog training company is facing an animal cruelty charge after a client’s English Bulldog died shortly after being in the business’s care, according to an arrest report obtained by police.
Michael Martenies, who runs Sit Means Sit Dog Training, has been charged with willful and malicious torture or killing of an animal resulting in death, police said.
What happened
According to the arrest report, City of Las Vegas Animal Protection Services asked Metro police for help investigating a possible cruelty case on July 10. The complaint stemmed from the death of a dog named Taco, who had been dropped off for his first training session on July 8.
Taco’s owner told investigators the young bulldog — about a year and a half old — was in obvious distress when he was brought home that evening. He was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic but did not survive. A necropsy later attributed his death to heat stroke, which triggered disseminated intravascular coagulation and organ failure, the report said.
Police said Taco was in the business’s care from roughly 8 a.m. until about 5:45 p.m. Records show he was scheduled for surgery to ease a breathing condition, and the trainer assigned to him told investigators she was concerned about training a dog with visible breathing trouble, describing his breathing as a “honking” sound, according to the report. She said she kept his session brief because of it.
After training, Taco was placed in a wire crate inside a transport van while still wearing an e-collar. Investigators said the van’s air conditioning was not functioning in the rear compartment, and Taco remained inside for about 25 minutes on a day the National Weather Service recorded a high of 102 degrees.
When the van reached the drop-off location, Taco reportedly had to be lifted from his crate and collapsed shortly before entering the home. The trainer told police she could not detect a heartbeat and called Martenies for guidance; he advised taking Taco to an emergency vet. Taco was pronounced dead on arrival.
Licensing violations alleged
Investigators said Martenies had been using the transport van without it being registered to his business license, and that the vehicle had not passed a required inspection. A supervisor with Animal Protection Services said the van’s condition would likely have failed inspection and was unsuitable for transporting animals, the report said. Police also noted that the home where Taco’s session took place was permitted only as an administrative office, not a training site.