A Saugus resident was arrested on suspicion of animal abuse at his residence on the 28800 block of Woodside Drive on June 23 after deputies received reports of him using a cattle prod on his dog, according to Natalie Arriaga, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Arriaga wrote in an email that deputies had responded to a call on June 16 at the 28800 block of Shadow Valley Lane and heard reports that 67-year-old Scott Gilden had been seen striking his dog several times with a cattle prod. Gilden was outstanding at the time, but was later found at his residence a week later.
“The suspect was arrested for animal cruelty and being a prohibited person/convicted felon in possession of a taser (cattle prod),” wrote Arriaga. “The suspect was booked into the SCV Sheriff’s Station and subsequently released on citation to appear in court at a later date.”
According to Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Gilden was charged with cruelty to an animal and possessing a stun gun after a prior felony conviction. Gilden is due back in court on Sept. 6.
Neighborhood issues with Gilden’s dog go back nearly two years, when Gilden and his wife appeared on an episode of “Judge Judy,” as a plaintiff, to sue for compensation for dental surgeries sustained by Gilden’s dog after it got into a fight with another dog. Gilden’s case was dismissed on the show.