A Las Vegas man is facing charges of animal abuse after police said they discovered a dog and cat in his apartment that were filthy and undernourished.
The cat had to be euthanized after her condition worsened, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report.
Juliane Lee, who was arrested on a warrant earlier this month, faces two counts of willfully or maliciously torturing, maiming or mutilating an animal.
Lee, 25, is being held at the Clark County Detention Center awaiting a July 27 court hearing, jail records show.
In December, police received a 911 call from a woman who was heard screaming before the line disconnected. They responded to the apartment and encountered a shattered window and an open, damaged door, police said.
Officers did not find anyone in the apartment, but instead encountered a dog and cat inside a closed walk-in closet. The animals were “filthy and undernourished, with their ribs visible through their skin,” the report stated.
According to the report, there were “many piles of feces” inside the closet and no food or water. Police concluded that the animals had been “neglected for a very long time.”
Lee’s girlfriend then approached the apartment, saying she lived there. The report stated that Ryshnique Washington and Lee had been in an on-and-off relationship for five years. Washington said that she had moved out of the apartment about a month before the incident occurred and that the animals belonged to Lee.
Both the dog and cat were transported to the Animal Emergency Center and later The Animal Foundation for medical care. According to the report, the cat had “more significant health concerns,” including a low heart rate and rapid and shallow breathing.
The report stated that, despite the best efforts of medical staff, the cat’s condition ultimately declined and she was euthanized.
Contact Sophie Baker at sbaker@reviewjournal.com.
