A dog trainer charged with abusing canines at a northwest Las Vegas dog rescue has been deported and prosecutors have declined to file charges against a woman arrested in the case.
John Johnstone, 38, was charged with one count of animal cruelty. The Metropolitan Police Department said in April that Johnstone repeatedly used an electric shock collar and lifted dogs off the ground by the collar to gain compliance during training at Working Dogs of Nevada Rescue, 7331 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Police said Johnstone was captured on video surveillance abusing dogs.
A second person initially arrested, Tabitha Berube, 33, was also accused by police of animal cruelty. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Friday, however, that prosecutors declined to file a criminal complaint against Berube.
“We reviewed the matter and determined there was insufficient evidence to charge her and here’s why,” Wolfson said. “She was merely present during some of the training of the animals by Johnstone, but during the abuse that we charged Johnstone with, she wasn’t even present.”
Johnstone, meanwhile, has been deported by federal authorities. Wolfson did not immediately have information on which country Johnstone was deported to, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security previously identified Johnstone in a press release as “an illegal alien from the United Kingdom.”
Wolfson said a bench warrant is outstanding for Johnstone for failing to appear in court if he somehow returns.
Wolfson said prosecutors don’t have a lot of control over deportation of criminal defendants in the Las Vegas Valley. In a murder case, he said, he would expect federal authorities to reach out to the district attorney’s office.
“On something like this they don’t check in,” he said. “They just deport him. Deportation is a federal matter. If the federal authorities determine someone is here illegally and is subject to deportation, they deport you.”
John Waudby, founder of the group Nevada Animal Advocates, said he was disappointed that Johnstone was deported before he was prosecuted.
“I’m infuriated that Johnstone is gone,” Waudby said. “Obviously he is never going to come back to the U.S.”
U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security have not responded to requests for further details.
Contact Glenn Puit at gpuit@reviewjournal.com.
