Warrant: After CT K-9 cop’s arrest, more animal abuse reported

WATERBURY — A Connecticut police K-9 officer charged with animal cruelty was ordered by a state judge Wednesday to surrender ownership of 31 dogs seized by authorities as a condition of his release.

David Rivera Jr. also cannot possess any animals while the case is pending, according to Waterbury Superior Court Judge Frank Iannotti.

Rivera is accused of participating in the killing of at least 10 dogs and burying them on the property of his Naugatuck business, records show. He appeared briefly Wednesday before Iannotti in Waterbury to plead not guilty to animal cruelty charges.

His attorney, Susan Hankins, of Gulash & Associates, said Rivera agreed with the conditions of release.

So were four animal rights activists with Desmond’s Army, a volunteer group that attends court appearances throughout Connecticut to raise awareness of animal abuse.

“The fact that he is no longer in possession of his dogs is a good thing,” Linda Pleva, vice president and treasurer of the group, said outside the courthouse after the proceedings.

The case has drawn statewide attention because of Rivera’s position as a police officer and the number of dogs allegedly killed, Pleva said after the proceedings.

The organization attends many court appearances to highlight the need for stiffer penalties for animal cruelty, as well as raise awareness of animal abuse, said John Frascatore, a member from Southington.

“We’re here to get justice,” Frascatore said as he and the others waited for court to start Wednesday morning. “The people responsible for this atrocity need to be punished, not just for these dogs, but as an example to let people know you can’t get away with abusing animals.”

Since Rivera’s arrest, many former customers of his dog training facility have reported their pets were abused while in his care, according to a newly unsealed search warrant.

Rivera has been suspended from the New Canaan Police Department, which also revoked his police K-9 Apollo since allegations surfaced that he was illegally in possession of explosives and had improperly euthanized dogs as part of his side business, Black Rock Canines. The facility, located at 100 Hunters Mountain Road in Naugatuck, sold and trained dogs for individuals and law enforcement agencies.

According to a search warrant obtained by Naugatuck Detective John Williams and State Animal Control Officer Kelli Baker, reports of abuse made by previous customers of Black Rock Canines escalated after Rivera was first charged last month.

“Each one has provided their own ‘story’ of bringing their canine there for training to only receive a canine back that has had injuries, scars and are not the same behavior-wise,” Williams said in the search warrant.

The dogs returned home “scared,” fearing certain actions and cowering, the search warrant said.

In one case, a customer reported their dog had to be “put down” after training at Black Rock Canines and they were offered a “puppy as payment,” the search warrant said.

Based on the numerous reports and the investigation into Rivera’s activities, Baker and Williams sought and obtained the search warrant to seize any dogs that were on the property on May 3. More than 30 animals were seized and placed with a shelter, Naugatuck police said. The animals were in good condition, Naugatuck Police Chief Colin McAllister said.

Williams also said during the execution of previous search warrants into the investigations of illegal explosives and animal abuse, officials found numerous “passports” for dogs that had been purchased out of the country.

Authorities believed the animals were never seen by a veterinarian even though state law requires canines brought to the

United States for training be examined, the search warrant said.

Rivera and his facility’s general manager, Daniel Luna, have been accused of killing dogs they felt could not be trained by shooting them in the back of the head while serving them a meal, court documents said. Employees of the business reported to investigators they believed Luna shot the animals while Rivera used heavy equipment to bury them on the Naugatuck property, arrest warrants said. The remains of four dogs were found buried at the site, arrest warrants stated.

Employees also said Luna would use a “metal pipe” to hit the dogs as a way of “behavior modification” so the animals would cooperate with his training, the search warrant said.

Rivera was charged on May 2 with conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals, first-degree reckless endangerment and conspiracy to commit the euthanization of a canine. He was charged the week before with illegally possessing explosives and assault weapons. Rivera is free after posting a total of $400,000 bond.

Luna was charged with nearly 20 counts, including cruelty to animals, unlawful euthanization of a canine and first-degree reckless endangerment. He is free on $75,000 bond.

Naugatuck police said they first searched the business property on April 26 after receiving reports that possibly as many as 10 dogs were buried at Black Rock Canines. The allegations came as state officials were investigating reports that Rivera was improperly storing explosives on the property, but had moved them to his Stratford home, the court documents said.

Three days after the search, Rivera’s father, David Rivera Sr., was arrested for allegedly threatening to stab Black Rock Canines employees, the search warrant said. Rivera Sr., 57, of Stratford, was charged with second-degree threatening and two counts of breach of peace. He was released after posting $25,000 bond. His case is pending.

The investigation led police to Rivera’s Stratford home where they said a large amount of explosives were found improperly stored. Rivera also is accused of possessing the explosives illegally since he did not have a license, according to an arrest warrant for the original charges.

According to Luna’s arrest warrant, one Black Rock Canines employee reported to state police that she helped move explosives and dogs to the Naugatuck Event Center for training.

The training consisted of teaching the dogs to sniff explosives, according to the warrant. The fourstory downtown building was usually filled with other people who were engaging in various activities, she said.

The woman would place the explosives around the building so the dogs could learn the scent, the warrant said. She would pack up the explosives and the dogs at the end of the day and bring them back to Black Rock Canines in a van, she said.

Luna, a Waterbury resident who moved to Connecticut two years ago, was a police officer in Texas for a decade, according to his attorney, Robert Berke. He has no prior record and was working full time as a police K-9 trainer, Berke said.

Rivera joined the New Canaan Police Department in 2014 after being a member of the Bridgeport police force.

Rivera has at least two pending workers’ compensation complaints with the state Workers’ Compensation Commission, which oversees claims that need negotiations or have been denied.

Rivera has received commendations and awards from the department in recent years after helping to save someone who was overdosing and successfully capturing a man who refused to drop his gun.

Last July, Rivera filed a lawsuit against New Canaan, claiming discrimination based on skin color and race after he was not chosen for the department’s Special Response Team. That case is going to trial, court records show.