BREAKING NEWS
Russell Files arrested after neighbor's dog caught in leg traps in his front yard
Russell Files
Photographer: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 01/09/2013
EL MIRAGE, AZ - An El Mirage man has been booked into jail on a charge of animal cruelty.
El Mirage police say officers responded to a call near Thunderbird and Dysart roads on December 18 where they found a 2-year-old Australian cattle dog caught in leg traps in the front yard of the home.
Russell Files, 44, told detectives he set the traps intentionally to catch the neighbor's dog, which had been repeatedly wandering onto Files' property after escaping from her own yard.
Surprise Animal Control as well as Maricopa County Animal Care and Control responded to remove the dog from the traps.
The owner of the dog was notified and the animal was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment.
According to the treating veterinarian, the dog lost a large number of teeth trying to chew her way out of the traps and suffered severe injury to her mouth.
After an extensive investigation, Files was arrested on January 8 for one count of felony animal cruelty.
The owner of the dog was cited for dog at large.
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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