Authorities Find 118 Decomposing Dogs in Truck After Neighbors Report Terrible Smell
On Sunday, authorities in eastern Juárez made a terrible discovery that has resulted in community outrage, an arrest, and shutting down an allegedly fraudulent business.
Locals in the Campestre Virreyes area began to complain of a terrible smell coming from a Ford F-150 that had a bed full of bagged items. When the Juárez police investigated, they found that the bed and cabin of the truck was packed with the decomposing remains of 118 dogs.
The bagged remains represented dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds, but they were so decayed that necropsies for cause of death could not be performed.
“Due to the state of decomposition in which they are found, they are not suitable material to perform a necropsy and thus determine the causes of death,” the Prosecutor’s Office said, according to El Heraldo de Juarez.
A man was arrested in connection to the case: 29-year-old Francisco Javier OL, as authorities pursued the potential for an animal abuse case.
“The North Zone District Prosecutor’s Office reports that at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 9, 2023, the Municipal Public Security Secretariat made Francisco Javier OL, 29 years old, available for the alleged crime of animal abuse,” the investigative agency reported.
The suspect claimed to work for a veterinarian’s office and said he was taking the dogs to be cremated, but something still seemed off.
As the investigation continued, authorities realized that the grisly discovery might be connected to a cremation company called EternalPet, which appeared to be lying to its customers about its work.
“Today groups of rescuers and animal protectors met with Prosecutor Carlos Manuel Salas to express their concern about the 118 dogs,” La Mira Digital wrote, according to a translation of the original post.
“In that regard, Prosecutor Salas stated that they are already taking letters in the case against the company EternalPet, since he committed the crime of fraud by charging for a service that was not giving, and the number of pets that were cremated did not correspond to his books…
“Salas vowed to look into several departments, including the SAT, for the serious irregularities with which the EternalPet business was operating, and also to order the staff in charge to subsequently receive reports for the crimes committed by the company.
“He thanked at all times the great work of safeguarding animals in street and abused situation.”
“Staff from the Directorate of Ecology and the State Prosecutor General’s Office, closed the place where the man worked who was detained with 118 dogs if life inside a van,” read a translation of a post from the NMás Juárez Facebook page.
“The crematorium is located on Panamericana Street in the Campestre Virreyes colony.”
Police also removed three dogs living at the suspect’s house, and they were taken in by the Juárez Department of Animal Welfare of the Municipal Rescue and Adoption of Pets agency, according to USA Today.
The 118 dead dogs will be taken to the municipal landfill for disposal.
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