Hollister
– An $850 pig hunting dog believed to have been stolen during a
hunting trip on a Paicines ranch earlier this week died Friday.
Hollister – An $850 pig hunting dog believed to have been stolen during a hunting trip on a Paicines ranch earlier this week died Friday.
The dog, Ice, suffered blunt force trauma to the head and died, owner Mike Stevens said.
Stevens, who bought Ice in Texas earlier this year, said the dog’s death came as a huge blow to his family.
“My kids are devastated,” he said.
Stevens suspects that whoever stole the purebred Catahoula hit the dog on the head with a blunt instrument. He said Ice suffered from seizures and could barely walk after being recovered on Thursday.
The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office arrested 31-year-old Paicines resident Oliver David Mendez on suspicion of felony conspiracy and grand theft of a dog Tuesday on JL Ranch in Paicines.
Ice went missing Sunday while hunting with Stevens on a Paicines-area ranch, Det. Jeff Goodwin said.
The criminal case has been forwarded to prosecutors for review.
District Attorney Candice Hooper said Friday that additional charges could be filed in the case if evidence shows the dog was intentionally injured.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office at 831-636-4080.
