Irvine woman who allegedly taped dogs’ mouths shut arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty
An Irvine woman who admitted to taping shut the mouths of multiple dogs has been arrested on suspicion of three counts of felony animal cruelty, police said.
Gabriela Barrera, 21, was arrested Saturday after Irvine Police Department Animal Service officers went to a home on Eastshore regarding reports of whimpering dogs on the patio.
A resident told police that they had seen multiple dogs with their snouts taped shut, according to an Irvine police news release. Officers said they found one dog with masking tape around its snout on the home’s patio and heard whimpering in the area.
Barrera returned home as officers were investigating and allegedly told them that she had taped the dogs’ snouts to keep them from biting and barking at one another, according to police.
A Los Angeles jury awarded $6.8 million to a woman whose arm was nearly ripped off by a dog in an L.A. Animal Services shelter in Lincoln Heights.
Seven dogs, including two puppies, were confiscated from the home, police said.
Three of the dogs that had their snouts taped belonged to Barrera, according to police. The tape had been around their snouts for approximately two hours before they were found, police said.
Barrera was arrested and transported to Orange County Jail.
All seven dogs received a wellness check and appeared to be in good condition, police said. The dogs were taken to a shelter, where they will be held until the case is adjudicated.
Supreme Court rules California’s restrictions on the confinement of farm animals do not violate the Constitution’s interstate commerce provisions.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
