Man Suspected of Dog Deaths Pleads Not Guilty

The response was not guilty from a Santa Cruz County man who has been suspected of killing a number of dogs on his remote property.

Robert Brunette pled not guilty on Monday to 10 charges of animal cruelty, including a pair of felonies. Authorities arrested him last week and removed more than three dozen emaciated and diseased dogs from the grounds of his home.

A judge ordered Brunette released on his own recognizance Monday, however Brunette did not agree to the conditions set forward by the judge.

Brunette would not sign an agreement stating he would not have any pets while the case is ongoing, and must help Santa Cruz County Animal Services find nearly a dozen dogs still roaming his property in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

With that being the case, Brunette was in jail Tuesday and is slated to appear in court for a hearing in early October.

While authorities said there is no evidence he killed any animals, a decapitated dog head, skulls and a pair of paws were discovered on his property during a recent search.