DENVER — Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of alleged animal abuse. Some readers might find this information disturbing.
Since summer 2020, a home security camera system in west Denver captured repeated acts of abuse and “torture” against poodles and a cat, according to court documents obtained by 9NEWS.
The documents indicate police seized a poodle named Andy and a cat named Shira in February from a home near West 6th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Another poodle might have died, according to records.
Guadalupe Morales, 43, and Veronica Mendoza-Tapia, 49, were arrested on felony aggravated animal cruelty charges and each bonded out in March.
A probable cause statement and search warrant affidavit say Morales and Mendoza-Tapia were repeatedly seen on security camera footage throwing dogs into the air, holding them by the ears for long periods of time, throwing them against walls and concrete, and hitting them with sticks.
A cat was also held in midair by a rope connected to its collar, according to the records.
The court records list 14 incidents captured on a home security camera from July 2020 through January in which the suspects were seen committing acts of abuse against their pets, which were heard yelping out in pain.
“Through the course of this investigation that the videos revealed the animals being cruelly beaten and caused unnecessary pain," a Denver Police detective wrote in the court records. "Furthermore, the animals appeared to have been needlessly tortured."
The records indicate witnesses who lived near the two women called authorities and turned over the video evidence earlier this year. One of the witnesses told police a poodle might have died, according to records.
A spokeswoman for Denver Animal Protection said a poodle named Andy was taken in and renamed Archie. Archie was adopted last month. The cat seized is currently in foster care, she said.
Experts who have studied animal cruelty cases said there could be myriad reasons behind the abuse.
“Animal cruelty, like any other form of violence, is often committed by a person who feels powerless, unnoticed or under the control of others,” The Humane Society of the United States told 9NEWS.
“Some who are cruel to animals, copy acts they have seen or that have been done to them," the Human Society said. "Others see harming an animal as a safe way to get revenge against — or threaten — someone who cares about that animal."
“That indicates a very serious pathology,” said Mary Lou Randour, a psychologist who has studied and written books and articles about animal cruelty.
“These women will have to be evaluated by a mental health professional and then diagnosed in order to make a proper intervention,” Randour said.
In 2019, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a law requiring mental health evaluations and a ban on pet ownership for up to five years for people convicted of felony animal cruelty.
Randour said this case is an example of why people need to come forward to report animal cruelty, even if they don’t have direct proof.
“Reporting doesn't mean you need to have proof that it's happening," Randour said. "Reporting simply means you have a well-founded suspicion that it is, and then animal control officers or police can go in and make the determination."
To report animal cruelty, you can call police or fill out an online form here by the Colorado Humane Society and Dumb Friends League.
If you have any information about this case or would like to send a news tip, you can contact jeremy@9news.com.
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