A loose dog wandering around a Tulsa extended-stay property led staff to pull up surveillance footage, and what they allegedly saw was a man kicking and dragging two dogs before police moved in. Tranquilino Gonzales, a 38-year-old Tulsa man, was arrested on two counts of felony animal cruelty and one count of possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
Tulsa Police Department officers opened the investigation Wednesday after employees at Eagle Suites called officials when they found a loose dog on the property, according to KOKH. Staff reviewed surveillance footage to figure out where the dog had come from, and that review allegedly turned up video of the animal's owner abusing both dogs.
Per the Tulsa Police Department, the footage allegedly showed Gonzales kicking his two dogs in the face and dragging them by their leashes. One dog managed to break free while Gonzales whipped the other with its leash, police said, and he then dragged that second dog up the stairs. Investigators said the dogs yelped during the abuse and at no point appeared aggressive toward Gonzales.
Search Warrant Recovers Second Dog
Officers executed a search warrant on Gonzales' room at Eagle Suites to rescue the second dog, after which Tulsa Animal Services took custody of both animals, according to 96.5 KRMG. The property sits at 3509 S. 79th East Ave near 31st and Memorial Drive, operating as a pet-friendly, furnished extended-stay residence that doesn't require leases or credit checks, per Eagle Suites' own property listings.
Gonzales also faces a felon-in-possession charge.
What the Charges Carry Under Oklahoma Law
Oklahoma's animal cruelty statute, Title 21, Section 1685, makes willful or malicious cruelty — including torturing, beating, or injuring an animal — a felony punishable by up to five years in state prison, up to a year in county jail, or a fine of as much as $5,000. The law applies regardless of whether the person charged owns the animal.
The firearm count stems from Title 21, Section 1283, which bars anyone previously convicted of a felony from possessing or controlling a firearm, including inside their own residence or vehicle. Under Section 1283(B), the only way to restore gun rights after a felony conviction is a full pardon from the Governor of Oklahoma — record expungement alone does not do it.
Part of a Broader Statewide Push
The case lands amid heightened scrutiny of animal cruelty enforcement across Oklahoma. State lawmakers introduced House Bill 4284 in February, which would create a public Animal Abuse Offender Registry maintained by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to track convicted offenders statewide, as Hoodline has reported.
Tulsa has also seen a more severe case reach federal court this year. In August, a federal judge sentenced 44-year-old Julius Deane Griffin to 17.5 years after an investigation prompted by a drug tip uncovered a dogfighting operation and injured and dead animals at his Tulsa home. The golf-club assault was a separate offense. Gonzales' case is far smaller in scale.
Gonzales was arrested on felony charges by Tulsa police. The current physical condition of the two rescued dogs and whether they are available for foster or adoption had not been detailed as of Thursday.
