Jul 31, 2008 1:52 pm US/Pacific
Santa Cruz Breeder Arrested For Dog Bloodbath
LOS GATOS (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
Authorities arrested a Santa Cruz-area dog breeder Thursday who appeared to taunt investigators for days after dozens of neglected dogs were seized from his property.
Los Gatos police said they took Robert Brunette, 45, into custody Thursday morning after an anonymous tip to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office led authorities to him.
The Sheriff's Office received a report about 5:45 a.m. that Brunette was in the area of Los Gatos High School, Los Gatos police spokesman Randy Rimple said.
Officer Greg Ezgar found Brunette milling around on foot in the back of the high school. Rimple said Brunette was cooperative and Ezgar took him into custody without a struggle.
Brunette, who was booked into the Santa Cruz jail, faces at least 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and neglect and possibly some felonies.
Animal control officers seized 40 emaciated and diseased dogs from Brunette's rural Boulder Creek property in the Santa Cruz mountains since Saturday.
He eluded authorities that day, but left five dog skulls on a table in his home, then left another dog skull and two decomposing dog paws on the same table several days later.
Officers also found a dead dog on the roof of Brunette's house, a dog head hanging in a tree on his property and other dog body parts.
Authorities said Brunette advertised Italian mastiffs for sale in local newspapers. He had also bred them with Rottweilers and Labradors.
The rescued dogs were being medically treated and Tricia Geinsreiter, the county's animal services coordinator, said staff members were beginning to socialize the dogs.
"We trying to just get them to realize that we're not going to hurt them," Geinsreiter said.
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