LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The man facing animal abuse charges after leaving a dog in a trash bag told police he thought it was attacked by a coyote, according to police.
In an arrest report obtained Wednesday, Henderson Police Department investigators arrested Randy Katz after a dog was discovered by neighbors in a trash bag inside a recycling bin on November 4. Katz is facing charges of willfully or maliciously torturing an animal related to the incident.
HPD officers were dispatched to the Inspirada Animal Hospital at 6:30 p.m., where they met the couple that discovered the dog. They told officers that they had discovered the dog after noticing the recycling bin was “heavier than usual” and heard “labored breathing” from inside a trash bag.
After opening the bag, the couple wrapped the dog in a cloth and rushed him to the hospital. From there, veterinarians had noted that the dog had bruising along its side, severe dehydration, and had fresh puncture marks in its neck.
The dog was also determined to be a Maltese or Poodle-mix around ten or twelve years old.
Police would later locate Katz and interview him about the incident. During which, he claimed the dog, named Baily, had gotten out of the house. After searching, the dog was found lying “lifelessly” in the middle of the street.
Katz said he had known about previous coyote attacks in the area, and had assumed that the dog had been attacked too and assumed it was dead. In order to spare his girlfriend’s feelings, Katz said that he had hid the dog’s body in a trash bag and threw it in a recycling bin east of his residence.
According to the report, Katz had watching multiple news reports about the dog’s discovery after, and had maintained he did not want to be caught to avoid upsetting his girlfriend.
Katz is currently out of custody after posting bond. He is due back in court on December 2.
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