El Paso, TX (KFOX14/CBS4) — Cirilo Rodriguez Jr., a 57-year-old man from El Paso, was arrested for animal cruelty after deputies discovered three dogs in poor condition at his home. Rodriguez turned himself in to authorities on Saturday and admitted to failing to feed or provide water to his pets due to financial struggles, claiming he had no money, not even to pay his water bill.
On February 19, around 6:06 p.m., El Paso County deputies arrived at Rodriguez’s residence on the 3800 block of Zachariah Road after receiving reports of neglected animals. They found three dogs confined in small crates. One dog was already dead, while the two surviving dogs were severely malnourished and appeared emaciated, with their bones visible and their eyes sunken. The dogs had resorted to eating their own feces due to the lack of food and water. The crates, according to the arrest affidavit, lacked bedding or mats.
A fourth dog, not in a crate, was also found inside the home. This dog was not underweight and appeared to be in better condition, lying on a mattress. Rodriguez reportedly told deputies that the deceased dog had died earlier that evening, at around 5 p.m. He then surrendered all four dogs to the El Paso County Animal Welfare Unit.
The following day, February 20, a detective revisited Rodriguez for further questioning. Rodriguez explained that he had no money for dog food and had not been able to provide water for his dogs due to having his service cut off for non-payment. He admitted to previously receiving free dog food from Animal Welfare about two months prior but had not contacted them again since. When asked why he didn’t reach out for help, he simply replied, “I don’t know.”
As a result of the severe neglect, the two surviving dogs in the crates had to be euthanized due to their poor condition and possible infection. Rodriguez is currently being held in the El Paso County Detention Facility with a $22,500 bond. He faces three counts of animal cruelty related to the incident.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and El Paso Animal Welfare continue to investigate the case.
