Arvada man sentenced to 4 years work release, 2 years probation for animal cruelty

Tyler Willbanks mugshot. Courtesy photo An Arvada man has been sentenced to four years in jail with work release and two years of probation after pleading guilty to two animal cruelty charges stemming from the deaths of two dogs he adopted. Tyler Willbanks, 30, pleaded guilty to two felonies involving Maverick, a young Siberian Husky, and Axel, a Boston Terrier puppy — both of which were euthanized in 2025 after sustaining severe trauma at the hands of their owner. Prosecutors sought 12 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for Willbanks’ offenses. Maverick, a three-to four-month-old dog, suffered a fractured jaw, broken teeth, broken vertebra and significant trauma to his chest and lungs before being euthanized in May 2025. Axel, a two-month-old dog, suffered severe head trauma and was euthanized in July 2025. A necropsy conducted by Colorado State University found that Axel’s cause of death was head trauma.

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