Auburn K9 animal cruelty defendants arraigned; case to go to trial

The Placer County Sheriff's Office reported the defendants in the Auburn K9 animal cruelty case were arraigned July 12. Antoine Deshaun Moore and Sean Lee Murray were arraigned on information for multiple charges of animal cruelty, theft by false pretenses, grand theft of a dog and other charges related to Auburn K9, the fraudulent dog training company in Auburn, the Sheriff's Office reported. The information resulted in 15 felony criminal charges and factors of aggravation which allege the crime involved great viciousness or callousness, the victims were particularly vulnerable and the offenses carried out showed a level of criminal sophistication. According to the Sheriff's Office, the information also asserted Moore is a serious danger to society. Moore was arrested April 30, 2022, for felony theft by false pretenses following an investigation conducted by the Sheriff's Office after receiving reports of neglected and abused dogs. According to the Sheriff's Office, the investigation revealed Moore and his business partner, Murray, made clients believe they were paying Auburn K9 to provide boarding and training services but were instead left in dire conditions with extreme neglect. The Sheriff's Office also confirmed the information alleges eight dog victims who sustained injuries, disease, infection, severe behavioral problems or were never returned to their owners. The Sheriff's Office reported a three-day preliminary hearing in February resulted in a judge finding there was enough evidence to hold Moore and Murray to answer for the felonies related to the seven victims who testified during the proceeding, and the case will proceed to a jury trial on the charges alleged in the information. According to the Sheriff's Office, Moore and Murray will return to court Sept. 13 in Placer County Superior Court, Department 32, at the Santucci Justice Center in Roseville.