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Man accused of beating dog to death outside Las Vegas vet clinic

Updated January 7, 2021 - 5:47 pm

Las Vegas police have arrested a 29-year-old man accused of beating a dog to death with a pole in front of an east Las Vegas animal hospital.

James Mason was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Tuesday after he was arrested on suspicion of willfully or maliciously torturing, maiming or killing a dog, court records show.

According to Mason’s arrest report, Metropolitan Police Department officers were called about 2:50 p.m. to the Tropicana Animal Hospital, 2385 E. Tropicana Ave., after a 911 caller reported seeing a man “hitting a golden colored dog with a pole.”

The dog was dead when officers arrived. Police found Mason nearby holding a 2-foot-long gray pole, the report said.

Mason told police he “picked up the dog” near Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road. He denied killing the dog and gave conflicting information, saying he was “praying for the dog,” and “cleaning the dog,” the report said.

He remained in the detention center without bail on Thursday, court records show. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.

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