Man accused of starving, torturing dogs after they gave birth

An unlicensed breeder in Las Vegas was arrested Thursday and accused of harboring three emaciated dogs and multiple litters of puppies at his apartment.

Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department started to investigate Malcolm Laster, 28, on Nov. 25 after discovering a female French bulldog in critical condition, according to an arrest report released Friday.

Detectives said the dog was surrounded by excrement, did not have water in the kennel and all of her bones were showing. She was 13 pounds, shivering and wet. She and one of her puppies was rushed to an animal hospital and died.

A female pit bull was found on the patio living among mold, and another female pit bull was locked in a closet. Laster told police the pit bull in the closet gave birth to eight puppies on Oct. 30, but the mother was aggressive so he locked them up.

A healthy, male pit bull was found with 13 puppies.

Laster told police the French bulldog started losing weight after she gave birth to five puppies, also on Oct. 30, according to the arrest report. He did not take her to a vet during or after her pregnancy because, he told police, that in his experience breeding, the female would heal just by being separated from her puppies.

Laster did not have a breeding permit, police said.

Court records show Laster is a registered sex offender after he pleaded guilty in 2013 to pandering a child with force. He is being held on $6,000 bail after he was booked on charges of willful and malicious torture of a dog.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.