Tuesday, April 2, 2024 | 3:38 p.m.
Police found dozens of rabbits and guinea pigs — some of them dead — in a car they stopped last week, according to Boulder City officials.
More than 50 animals were in the car, and dozens more, including dogs, were discovered at a home and a hotel room in Las Vegas, officials said.
Two people, both in their 70s, each face 11 misdemeanor counts in Boulder City of torturing, injuring, abandoning or starving an animal, officials said. The couple’s names were not immediately released.
Boulder City Police received a tip Friday about the carload of animals, and officers stopped it after noticing a broken taillight, officials said.
“When the occupants rolled down a window, officers could smell dead animals inside the car,” the city said in a statement.
Police and animal control officers searched the car and found 51 guinea pigs and rabbits in a variety of plastic totes and luggage, official said. Eleven of the guinea pigs were dead, and four died later, officials said.
“Our officers knew right away that something was wrong,” Boulder City Police Lt. Thomas Healing said in a statement.
A woman in the car said she was concerned about other animals at home and at the hotel in Las Vegas, and Metro Police were notified, officials said.
Metro obtained search warrants and found 30 dogs — 10 dead — in a hotel room, officials said. A search of the house led to the discovery of 15 more dogs and more guinea pigs, officials said.
“Veterinary treatment will likely cost thousands of dollars for these animals,” Ann Inabnitt, supervisor of Boulder City Animal Control, said in a statement.
“We’re also finding that some of the pets are pregnant, so it may be weeks before we have an exact number of impounded animals,” she said.
