Bellagio Security Rescues Puppy From 108-Degree Car, Mouth Taped Shut — Arrest Video

Posted on: July 21, 2022, 07:10h. 

Last updated on: July 28, 2022, 05:43h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A California man faces an animal abuse charge after security officers at the Bellagio rescued a confined three-month-old puppy, news reports revealed. The 50-year-old man allegedly left the young dog in a sweltering car at the casino for two hours. Its mouth was taped shut.

Raul Carbajal of Corona Del Mar, Calif
Raul Carbajal of Corona Del Mar, Calif., pictured above. He was charged by Metro police after he allegedly left a dog in a parked car. Bellagio security officers rescued the puppy. The temperature in the car was close to 108 degrees. The man was charged. (Image: LVMPD)

On Wednesday, a casino security guard was alerted to the puppy being in the car at about 3 pm. The puppy had no food or water. The air conditioning was not turned on. The dog’s mouth was taped with black electrical tape, according to KSNV.

The officer entered the car by climbing in via a sunroof, police said. Another guard gave the dog cold water to drink and relocated the animal to an air-conditioned vehicle.

The temperature in the vehicle was 107.8 degrees, KSNV reported. The car was parked on the Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino garage’s top floor, KLAS, another TV station, said. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) added was in direct sunlight.

Puppy Survives Ordeal

The puppy survived the ordeal, according to KLAS. It is not immediately clear if the puppy got ill from the extreme heat. The puppy was breathing heavily when it was in the car. It is unknown what happened to the puppy following the incident. It is believed to be a Siberian Husky.

The suspect, Raul Carbajal of Corona Del Mar, Calif., parked the car at about 1:13 pm on Wednesday. He returned to the car at 3:10 pm, KSNV said. Police found a gaming ticket on Carbajal. He had a cash out of 75 cents, KLAS said. He posted bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on July 26.

The specific charge against him is suspicion of willful or malicious torture of a dog, KSNV said

Prior Incidents

In an unrelated incident, last Aug. 4, a dog was seen in a parked car on Las Vegas Boulevard, KVVU, a local TV station, reported. It was 108 degrees outside. That dog was panting and struggling to breathe, according to Metro police.

The three-month-old puppy after it was rescued from a hot car by security guards and Metro police at the Bellagio parking garage
The three-month-old puppy after it was rescued from a hot car by security guards and Metro police at the Bellagio parking garage. The owner was charged. (Image: LVMPD)

An LVMPD officer got the dog out of the car. She was placed in an air-conditioned Metro police car. A Clark County Animal Control officer also showed up. The dog’s owner was given a citation, KVVU said.

In July 2021, LVMPD officers removed two pugs from a car parked at a Walmart. One of the pugs needed to be euthanized. It had been injured from the heat.

In June 2021, a Las Vegas woman allegedly left her dog in a hot SUV parked at the Wild Wild West Casino. Two weeks later, she left the same animal in the same SUV in front of a Goodwill store on another hot day, police said. When a police officer arrived at the store, the dog was panting heavily, barking, appeared in distress, and had no water, KVVU said.

The SUV was turned off. It was locked with the windows rolled up. An officer broke the SUV’s window to rescue the dog.

Reminder to Pet Owners

The summertime incidents remind pet owners about the risks to animals from being in a vehicle when temperatures are high.

“On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels,” Jessica Simpson, public policy specialist at the Humane Society of the United States, told Casino.org last year.

On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes,” Simpson told Casino.org. “After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees and the pet may suffer irreversible organ damage, seizures, or die.”

Dogs with short snouts, long hair, or who are younger are at even greater risk of being in a hot car, she said.

Metro cops have made numerous statements about the heat risks to animals and potential charges for the owners.