LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The grandson of a man involved in the crash that shutdown U.S. 95 Wednesday morning is speaking out.
The grandson, Dominic Garcia, claims his grandfather's dogs were taken to The Animal Foundation after the crash and he has not been able to get them back.
A spokesperson for The Animal Foundation did confirm the purebred puppies are currently under their care.
At this time, the puppies are on a 10-day hold until their owner, David Kingsley, can pick them up. However, Kinglsey's grandson says he is hospitalized with near fatal injuries and will not be able to pick up the dogs anytime soon.
"He's not going to make it," the grandson said. "It's very clear, but I just want to make sure something he cares about is okay."
Kingsley is a licensed dog breeder and was headed to a dog park when police said he was hit by a drunk driver. After the crash, his dog was taken to The Animal Foundation and animal control went to Kingsley's home to retrieve her 7, 2-week old puppies.
Garcia says he's been trying to retrieve the dogs ever since, but finds himself stuck between two agencies, The Animal Foundation and animal control, both with jurisdiction over the dogs.
A spokesperson for the foundation says the dogs are on a 10-day hold, and the owner must provide a signed statement authorizing their release. The agency also says animal control must evaluate how many dogs Garcia is eligible to take home based on legal limits. Since the puppies are nursing, all must go together.
"And they are still charging everyday that they are in there," he said. "So, even after 10 days I have to come up with a couple hundred dollar on top of this to pick them up."
The Animal Foundation told KTNV they are aware of the Kingsley's circumstances and will extend the 10-day hold if needed. They also said another family member has contacted them about the dogs.
Bryce Henderson is the president of No Kill Las Vegas, a local organization advocating for animal safety. He put out a post on Facebook about this situation which has gone viral.
"Let's just get this taken care of," he said. "Let's get these puppies to a good home and free up some space at the shelter."
Police said a drunk driver caused the crash on Wednesday. That driver was allegedly an off-duty officer, Benjamin Coreas.
