21/08/2026
Dog Dies After Training Session in 102°F Heat
LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas dog trainer is facing an animal cruelty charge after an English Bulldog named Taco died following a training session.
According to a police arrest report, Taco was taken to Sit Means Sit Dog Training on July 8 for his first training session. The dog was later returned home in severe distress and collapsed shortly after being unloaded from a transport van.
Taco was taken to an emergency veterinarian but was already dead. A necropsy determined that he died from heat stroke, leading to organ failure.
Police said Taco, who was about 1½ years old, had breathing problems and was scheduled for surgery to improve his breathing.
Investigators also found that the transport van had broken rear air-conditioning vents and was not properly inspected for animal transport. The temperature in Las Vegas reached 102°F (39°C) that day.
Michael Martenies, owner of Sit Means Sit Dog Training, faces a charge related to the willful or malicious torture, maiming or killing of a dog resulting in death. The case remains under investigation.
