LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nye County Judge Robert Lane opened a hearing today recalling how long Vasili Platunov has been arguing his case in the judge's courtroom.
"We had two or three years of hearings on the civil case regarding the dogs being in Pahrump. Too many dogs in Pahrump."
In the criminal case, Platunov and his ex-wife, Oksana Higgins, were arrested on multiple felony animal cruelty charges in August.
MONEY, HIGH STAKES, HISTORY BEHIND RARE DOG BREED AT CENTER OF NYE COUNTY CRUELTY CASE
Platunov, owner of the Est Alfa kennel, through his attorney, Thomas Gibson, filed an emergency motion Wednesday asking Judge Lane to compel the sheriff to return about 40 of the dogs back to Platunov.
Gibson says these are dogs Platunov claims he sold and received payment for, but hasn't been able to deliver because they were seized.
In the emergency motion, Gibson argues the dogs are unlawfully seized personal property.
"These dogs are very valuable," Gibson said in court. "That's the background we're talking about here involving recent contracts. We have recent contracts of up to three months ago where these dogs have not been delivered yet."
MALNOURISHED DOGS RESCUED FROM NYE COUNTY BREEDER
He also accuses the Nye County sheriff of having a political agenda.
Judge Lane set an evidentiary hearing for Sept. 29.
In the meantime, we're learning disturbing new details in the criminal case.
RESCUED NYE COUNTY DOGS MOVED TO SHELTER
A Nye County sheriff's detective revealed nearly 90 of Platunov's dogs were disposed of at a Las Vegas crematorium in just the past few months, and many of the new puppies have been euthanized due to parvovirus.
As we previously reported, investigators found 24 dead puppies in a freezer. Some sources believe Platunov and Higgins were feeding frozen puppies to larger dogs.
Many of the dogs on the Amargosa property were found maimed, some with no feet.
The ongoing investigation revealed neighbors and a mail carrier reported seeing dead dogs in a trash can on the Pahrump property several years ago.
It appears there may have been hundreds of dogs that died at Est Alfa kennel over the years in Platunov's care.
RELATED:Internal emails, records reveal failure to act by Nye County officials in dog cruelty case
