May Trial Announced For Suspected Peninsula Dog Killers

SAN BRUNO, CA -- A Peninsula couple accused of burning their two-year-old dog to death will appear in court in May. San Bruno residents Paul Souter and Shelby Lujan have their trial set for May 21, almost two years after their dog was killed, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office said.

Lujan, 23, reportedly took their dog Sprocket to the emergency veterinary clinic on May 1, 2016, because she received third-degree burns on 40 percent of his body. The clinic tried to save the dog but he died, Peninsula Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said.

Lujan and Souter, 26, claimed that a cup of boiling water had accidentally spilled into Sprocket's crate, but that they waited more than a week to take him to the vet, according to the humane society.

An expert forensic veterinarian determined that the pattern and severity of the injuries was consistent with the dog being lowered or placed in scalding liquid.

--Bay City News contributed to this report

Also See:

San Mateo County Couple Charged in Burning Death of Their Dog

San Bruno Man Accused of Scalding Girlfriend's Dog Pleads Not Guilty