RAUL RENE GONZALEZ JR. charged for letting his dog freeze to death in his garage

- Minnesota, USA -

Prosecutors in Olmsted County have charged 29-year-old RAUL RENE GONZALEZ JR. (pictured), of Waseca, with one felony count of Overwork/Mistreat Animals-Torture and one misdemeanor count of Overwork/Mistreat Animals-Deprive of Food/Shelter.

According to the criminal complaint filed on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Olmsted County District Court, on January 22, 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m., Officer Adam Wibstad of the Rochester Police Department received reports of animal neglect at a residence in southwest Rochester.

As part of his investigation, Officer Wibstad interviewed a witness who reported seeing a Snapchat video posted that evening by another person.

The video depicted a deceased brown-and-white female dog lying inside a kennel. The video was captioned with an allegation that GONZALEZ had left the dog outside in freezing temperatures, resulting in her death.

The criminal complaint identified the dog as Snookie.

The witness subsequently provided Officer Wibstad with direct-message correspondence between herself and the woman who had posted the video on Snapchat.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the messages from the woman who uploaded the video stated that GONZALEZ “let her in the freezing weather to die,” referring to Snookie.

The following day, January 23, 2026, Animal Control Officer Lisa Kelly interviewed the woman who had posted the video on Snapchat. According to the criminal complaint, the woman confirmed that she had seen Snookie deceased inside GONZALEZ’s garage on January 22, 2026. She also confirmed that GONZALEZ was Snookie’s guardian.

On January 26, 2026, ACO Kelly interviewed a third witness who stated that he had gone to GONZALEZ’s home on the evening of January 24, 2026, to retrieve Snookie’s body for cremation.

According to the third witness, Snookie was frozen to the bottom of a metal cage, had visible trauma to her underside, and was frozen in an unnatural position. The witness further told ACO Kelly that Snookie appeared to have suffered prior to her death.

The third witness told investigators that GONZALEZ had said Snookie died on January 19, 2026.

Public records cited in the criminal complaint indicate that windchill temperatures on the night of January 18, 2026, reached well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

On January 30, 2026, ACO Kelly conducted a follow-up interview with the third witness. He told her that he had located the cage in which Snookie had been contained inside GONZALEZ’s garage.

The witness further reported that bodily fluids appeared to have accumulated around Snookie and contributed to her becoming frozen to the cage.

GONZALEZ was charged via summons and is not currently in custody.

Court records show that GONZALEZ is scheduled to appear in Olmsted County District Court on November 5, 2026, at 8:30 a.m.

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is based on information contained in the criminal complaint obtained by Voice For Us. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

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