Fresno Leader

Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have charged 48-year-old Joe Ontiveros of Fresno with animal cruelty. He is currently held in the Fresno County Jail with bail set at $292,500.

On March 22, 2024, deputies responded to a report of animal abuse at a home on the 15000 block of E. Floral Ave. in Parlier. The property owner reported that someone had tied a dog to a fence and shot it with a 9mm handgun. The severely injured dog was discovered by the homeowner, who provided security camera footage capturing the incident to detectives. Officers from Fresno Humane Animal Services (FHAS) transported the dog for surgery, which was successful.

During their investigation, detectives identified Joe Ontiveros as the suspect. Ontiveros was already in custody at Fresno County Jail following an arrest by Parlier Police in April for unrelated firearms charges. Once sufficient evidence was gathered against him, additional charges of animal abuse were added to his record.

The dog has since made a full recovery and is available for adoption. Interested parties can contact FHAS by visiting its facility at 1510 West Dan Ronquillo Drive, Fresno, CA 93706 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org. Callers will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Reference case #24-3346.