Owner of Las Vegas dog training business arrested after bulldog dies

Michael Martenies, owner of Sit Means Sit Dog Training in Las Vegas, was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Thursday after surrendering at Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, according to an apprehension report released Monday by Las Vegas Justice Court. Online records indicate Martenies faces a felony charge of willfully or maliciously torturing an animal resulting in death. The arrest follows an incident more than a week earlier in which police said a grooming session with Taco, a one‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old English bulldog, ended fatally. In the report, police stated that Martenies had been negligent “in manners of his business,” a factor that contributed to Taco’s death. The report includes the following statement: “Martenies had been operating extracurricular of his concern licence by utilizing a transport van that portion decaled with the concern logo, was not affiliated with the concern licence and had not undergone the indispensable inspection,” the study said. “The aerial conditioning portion to the rear of the van was not functioning and was not allowing capable aerial to flow.” Police said Kenneth Goldberg brought Taco to Martenies’ residence, where Sit Means Sit Dog Training operates, on the morning of July 8. When the dog was returned to the Goldberg home that afternoon, Goldberg’s wife and son found the animal “in wide distress.” The Goldbergs rushed Taco to an emergency veterinarian, where the dog was pronounced dead, according to police. A necropsy determined that Taco died from disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder that causes widespread blood clotting and bleeding, leading to organ failure secondary to heat stroke. Police also noted that Taco suffered from a respiratory condition common in English bulldogs that can make heat intolerance develop more quickly than in longer‑nosed breeds. The report records that the high temperature in Las Vegas on July 8 reached 102 degrees. Investigators learned from Las Vegas Animal Protection Services that the van involved in Taco’s death was not authorized for animal transport. The report contains this remark: “Had helium incorporated the van into his concern plan, it would person been required to acquisition an inspection to guarantee the conditions of the conveyance were suitable,” the study said. Las Vegas Justice Court documents show Martenies posted a $5,000 bond at the time of his arrest. He made an initial appearance on Friday and is scheduled for a status check on September 10. No attorney for Martenies is listed in his online case file, and attempts to obtain comment from him were unsuccessful.