LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It started with a picture: records show a man posing proudly with a dog he had just adopted from The Animal Foundation. Weeks later, that same dog — a pit bull named Ribbit — was found dead.
WATCH | Alyssa Bethencourt looks into the records on Ribbit's death
Now, newly obtained records from Clark County Animal Protection Services (APS) confirm that Ribbit wasn’t the only animal linked to the same adopter who died shortly after leaving the shelter. Another dog, Canela, also adopted from The Animal Foundation by the same person, later died under circumstances that remain unclear in the records.
According to APS records, the adopter — identified as Flavio Garcia — is facing only citations rather than criminal charges.
Our first look at the case came in June, when an adoption photo of Garcia holding Ribbit — a brown-and-white pit bull — began circulating on social media.
Within weeks, word spread that Ribbit had been found dead near Nellis Air Force Base. APS records confirm that Ribbit, who had appeared on Channel 13’s Morning Blend segment in May, was discovered with suspicious injuries within weeks of her adoption.
According to the records, Ribbit’s microchip was used to trace her back to Garcia after her body was recovered. Photographs in the report show significant wounds to her body, though investigators have not disclosed exactly how she died.
The same APS records show Garcia had also adopted Canela, a German Shepherd, from The Animal Foundation in May. Canela was impounded by APS earlier that month and later died while at the shelter. The records do not specify the cause of her death.
Investigators also tied Garcia to a third dog, Calliope, a Belgian Malinois. That dog was ultimately surrendered to The Animal Foundation by a member of Garcia’s family during the investigation.
APS records show Garcia was cited for animal cruelty, abandonment, and restraint violations. Those citations are administrative and carry fines — but they do not rise to criminal charges.
That has sparked a new set of questions:
- What measures does The Animal Foundation have in place to prevent animals from being adopted into unsafe homes?
- How are adopters vetted, and were there any red flags that could have prevented these placements?
- How often do adopted animals end up in cruelty or neglect cases — and are those numbers being tracked?
- And beyond that, why is Garcia only facing citations rather than criminal prosecution?
When asked about that last question, a Clark County spokesperson said that Las Vegas Metro Police do not get involved unless APS determines there is probable cause for criminal animal cruelty charges under Nevada law.
Back in June, Clark County officials told us they could not comment until the investigation was finished. When we followed up this week, the county said they would provide a response soon.
A spokesperson for The Animal Foundation said the organization is also reviewing the matter and will get back to us.