Waseca Man Accused of Torturing Dog Before it Froze to Death in Rochester
Rochester, MN (RochesterNow)- A southern Minnesota man has been charged in a Rochester animal cruelty case.
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The criminal complaint, filed in Olmsted County Court on Friday, says Rochester police responded to an animal neglect report regarding a dog that froze to death at a southwest Rochester home on the night of January 22.
The court document says the dog was left out on the night of January 18 when sub-zero windchills were reported in Rochester. The dog, named Snookie, died on January 19.
Waseca Man Faces Felony Animal Cruelty Charged After Dog Found Frozen to Death in Southwest Rochester
The animal neglect report stemmed from a Snapchat video that depicted a deceased brown and white dog in a kennel.
The video’s caption alleged 29-year-old Raul Rene Gonzalez of Waseca had left the dog outside to freeze to death. An exchange of messages between two witnesses alleged the same thing as the caption, the charge say.
One of the witnesses told a Rochester Animal Control officer that the deceased dog belonged to Gonzalez, the complaint says.
Dog Found With Signs of Trauma
Another witness, who went to retrieve the animal for cremation, reported the dog had signs of trauma to its underside and was found in an "unnatural position” in Gonzalez’s garage, according to the complaint.
Frozen fluids from the dog caused it to be stuck inside of the freezing cage, the court document says.
Gonzalez is charged with felony animal torture and misdemeanor depriving an animal of shelter. He’s being charged by summons and is due to make his first court appearance in November.
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