Las Vegas woman arrested after police find dead dog in shower

A Las Vegas woman was arrested after she left her dog in a cage to die when she moved out of her home, Las Vegas police said.

Danielle Buck, 43, was charged with willful and/or malicious torture and killing of a dog after an employee of a realty company came to the house and found a deceased dog locked in a shower, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

A neighbor told officers that Buck, her partner and their teenage son were evicted in December, and when the neighbor saw them moving, she offered to find a home for the dog.

The neighbor said the family had left by Christmas, and when the cleaning person from the realty company arrived Jan. 4, the 6-month-old terrier that Buck said she had bought “to breed and make money” was deceased, weighing just over 3 pounds.

Buck was arrested for the death of her dog on Feb. 6 and is expected to appear in court again June 11.

Buck also was indicted in June for mail and wire fraud, as well as identity theft, after federal prosecutors said she stole nearly 40 identities to file for unemployment benefits in California, collecting more than $170,000. She could face up to 160 years in prison if found guilty.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.