UPDATE MAY 24: According to a Metro police report, Noela Velasco said she was afraid that San Bernardino Animal Control was going to euthanize most of her dogs. That's why she rented a U-Haul and moved the dogs off her California property to Nevada.
She planned to keep the dogs on the truck for about 10 hours.
Officers pointed out to Velasco that if the dogs were not rescued by police after being locked in the truck for 24 hours, it would have been 36 hours by the time Velasco came back according to what she told police was her plan.
Police say her response was, "you guys saved me" and "you can't charge me for what didn't happen."
The original count was 161 dogs, but as they were processed at Animal Foundation, the final count was 164 Pomeranians.
One dog that was sent to a veterinarian had to have its eye removed because of an infection that went untreated.
Officers detailed the following observations after they cut off a lock and opened the U-haul:
"I could smell an extremely strong and pungent odor of urine, feces, and filth coming out of the U-haul."
"...numerous animal crates stacked upon themselves, some rows were four crates high."
"All of the crates appeared dirty and stained with feces, urine, and dirt on the outside and inside."
"Most the crates contained several dogs some with three, four and even five dogs."
"...excessive amounts of feces and filth matted into the dogs hair. Much more than would have been expected for 24 hours in the U-haul."
Velasco and Kevin MacCormack, who drove the truck, were charged with animal cruelty violations for confining "...164 dogs in a U-haul for over 24 hours endangering their health and well-being in conditions considered cruel and unusual without food, water or ventilation in stacked crates where urine and the feces of the above crates were spilling into the below crates."
UPDATE MAY 22: Alleged puppy mill breeder Noela Velasco, the woman behind those 164 Pomeranians rescued from a moving truck, is now behind bars in the Clark County Detention Center. She's facing 20 felony counts of animal cruelty.
According to court officials, Velasco was taken into custody this morning at Goodsprings Justice Court. Her bail was set at $30,000. She's ordered to have no contact with any animals if she's released.
UPDATE MAY 8: 32-year-old Kevin MacCormack was arrested Tuesday in Sandy Valley according to Las Vegas Metro Police Department. He's currently being held in the Clark County Detention Center.
MacCormack is facing 20 felony counts of animal cruelty for his involvement in the November 2017 scene where the Pomeranians were seized by Animal Control in Sandy Valley.
According to online records, MacCormack is scheduled to be in court next Tuesday. We are still waiting to hear if MacCormack will agree to an on-camera interview from the jail.
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The woman who had 164 Pomeranians seized from a property in Sandy Valley last year has been charged in the case.
Breeder Noela Velasco is now facing 20 felony counts of "willfully or maliciously torture" of animals. In November, officials seized the dogs from a U-Haul truck.
A complaint filed by Clark County District Attorney in Goodsprings Justice Court claims Velasco and Kevin MacCormack confined the Pomeranians "in the cargo area of a U-Haul van without providing food and/or water and/or ventilation."
Both Velasco and MacCormack were not present in court Tuesday morning so a judge issued warrants for their arrest.
Animal Control officers initially took the dogs to the Animal Foundation before they were later adopted.
Velasco was recently accused by officials in California of violating county codes including having too many dogs on her property. Sources tell us at least 18 Pomeranians were observed on her property.
Velasco also had a run-in with Las Vegas Animal Control in 2012. She wouldn't let officers in to investigate allegations of illegal dog breeding.
