Nevada Bill Seeks to Upgrade Animal Cruelty to a Felony Offense

Last fall, a Reno, Nevada man brutally cut his dog to death with a box cutter, claiming she was in pain because a mouse climbed into her stomach. He subsequently pled guilty to the misdemeanor animal cruelty charge, paid the $640 fine and was released with jail time served. Now the man, Raymond Rios, is free with the only lingering reminder of his action being the restriction from owning dogs for two years.

Nevada is one of the few states left that does not have first offense felony animal cruelty laws. The current system requires a third offense before category C felony charges apply. An exception to the law is for show dogs, allowing for category D felony charges for their abuse or injury.

Senate Bill 223 (pdf), introduced in early March, seeks to change the law. Language of the bill shows that all animals should be regarded the same and cruelty toward them is worthy of felony charges. A category D felony would apply to injury resulting from willful cruelty while a category C felony would apply if the animal died.

Furthermore, any person who removes a dog or cat from its mother prior to eight weeks of age would be guilty of a misdemeanor. This is an extension of the current law that prohibits retailers and dealers from selling puppies and kittens younger than eight weeks old.

SB 223 has been nicknamed “Cooney’s Law,” for the rescue dog tortured to death by Rios. After brutally killing Cooney, a beagle mix, Rios returned her to the shelter he adopted her from and asked them to dispose of her body. He described her death in great detail to the shelter manager, who called animal control.

The bill is before the Senate Natural Resources Committee and will be discussed for the first time at a hearing on March 23rd.

Advocates for the bill come from a variety of backgrounds. There is the normal lineup of animal groups, including the animal shelter Nevada Humane Society and the non-profit Nevada Voters for Animals. Then you have Shade Tree, a domestic violence shelter in Las Vegas that is also the only shelter in the state that allows pets. Shade Tree supports the bill because they understand the link that exists between animal abuse and domestic violence.

Kathleen Denning was the Washoe County Regional Animal Services animal control officer called to pick up Cooney’s body. The incident affected her deeply, leading her to push for this new legislation. She will be presenting at the committee hearing and hopes that others will speak up as well.

Supporters of SB 223 want potential animal abusers to know that their actions have serious consequences. The days where men like Rios can drive away after being pulled over by police and confessing to animal cruelty are limited. Sign the petition and show your support for SB 223 to make animal cruelty a felony in Nevada.

Photo Credit: Ken Lund