Suspect whose 6 dogs died in a vehicle was told before by city he had ‘too many animals’

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have identified the suspect accused of having six dead dogs in a hot moving truck.

Christopher Robin Winter, 53, faces six felony counts of willful/malicious torture/maim/kill dog/cat/animal, according to court and booking records.

Winter was arrested after officers found six dead dogs in a moving truck in a parking lot of a Las Vegas-area hospital Tuesday. Police said they were originally called to a complaint about a dog in a hot car when officers discovered the other animals.

The Animal Foundation said they received six living dogs and three living cats from the investigation. The veterinary team is currently evaluating the animals, the shelter said.

Winter appeared in court Wednesday afternoon. FOX5′s Shawna Khalafi was there.

During court, the judge granted him a $50,000 bail. Winter was ordered to be in no possession of animals and to stay out of trouble.

In 2019, Winter was warned by North Las Vegas Animal Protection Services that he had too many dogs, and he agreed.

“The court’s concern is the extremely serious nature of charges in this situation,” the judge said. “Prior to this, police had told you that you possessed too many animals. Clearly you were not able to take care of them. At least one found covered in blood in the U-Haul.”

In an interview with police, the suspect acknowledged that it was hot outside and the dogs died as a result.

“Christopher stated that he made a mistake, and his mistake costed [sic] his dogs lives,” police said.

A report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said a temperature probe indicated that the temperature inside the vehicle was over 125 degrees and that the first dog officers saw was in “clear distress.”

The suspect approached officers as they were investigating the vehicle and police said he pointed at the truck in “disbelief.” Police said that when he realized that the dogs were dead, he became “erratic and resistant” as a trauma response to the incident.

He claimed that he had only been inside for “a short time,” but police said that the dogs appeared “to have been deceased for a long time.” The suspect then added that he had been driving with the dogs in the vehicle after being evicted from his home.

“The dogs were not secured and would have been pinballing around the inside of the storage bay.”

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department report, June 11

Winter was also found with methamphetamine when he was arrested. North Las Vegas Animal Protection had previously warned the suspect he had too many dogs in 2019, and he agreed.

Police said they would also conduct a welfare check at the suspect’s residence. Winter’s next court date is scheduled for June 17 at 8:30 a.m.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.