Latest news with #VegasPetRescueProject
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘We got justice for Reba,' law sponsor reacts after governor signs into law
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Those behind Assembly Bill 381, also known as 'Reba's Law,' spoke with 8 News Now after Governor Joe Lombardo signed it this week. 'We made it, we did it,' Nevada Assemblymember Melissa Hardy said. 'We got justice for Reba.' Assemblymember Hardy talked about the movement that made waves across the country and in Las Vegas. 'We've said it from day one,' Lindsey Pinapfel of Vegas Pet Rescue Project said in a past interview. 'She is the start, she is the movement.' Reba the English Bulldog was found sealed in a plastic tub in the triple-digit heat in July 2024. Reba, dog found sealed in tub in triple-digit heat, passes away Her death and the anger it inspired led to months of community activism, including a $50,000 reward for information in her case, nearly 50 billboards placed across Southern Nevada. Isaac Laushaul Jr., 32, and Markeisha Foster, 30, were arrested in December 2024 in connection with Reba's death. Each was charged with felony willful/malicious/torture/maiming/killing of a dog, cat, or animal. Community advocacy also inspired Assemblymember Hardy to sponsor the bill in Reba's name at the start of Nevada's 2025 Legislative Session. 'Such a great accomplishment, for not just me sponsoring the bill,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'But everybody who's been involved in this.' Assemblymember Hardy shared her reaction when she found out Governor Lombardo signed AB 381 into law on Tuesday. 'I was just overcome with emotion and happiness and gratitude,' she said. 'All of it.' The legislation increases penalties for any person who willfully or maliciously hurts or kills an animal. The offense is now a Class B Felony, punishable by one to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It was previously a Class D Felony with a penalty of one to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. 'I think it will be a deterrent that Nevada made a statement,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'That we are not going to allow animals to be abused and tortured.' Another provision of the law applies to animals left in hot cars. If a person comes across a pet locked inside a hot car without air conditioning, they can call 911 or animal control and then use 'any means necessary' to get into the vehicle and save the animal. The person then must wait with the animal and the car until authorities arrive. If all steps are taken, the person will not incur any civil or criminal liability for damages, according to the law's verbiage. 'I was really excited that this was included in there,' Assemblymember Hardy said of the provision. 'Just strengthens this even more.' She called the movement a win for Southern Nevada and a way to protect other animals from Reba's same fate. 'Her story was tragic and horrible, and what she suffered, but now we can talk of Reba and the good that came of this,' Assemblymember Hardy said. 'We have a platform now, and there's awareness about it.' Reba's Law also applies to police dogs. If a person intentionally disables or kills a K-9 on duty, they will face a Class B Felony charge. Foster took a plea deal, which brought her down to a lesser charge. On May 16, documents were filed by Laushaul's attorney asking a judge to move his case from Clark County because of intense media coverage, instead wanting the trial to happen outside of Las Vegas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dog dumped in Las Vegas dumpster, police search for alleged animal abuser
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Upon lifting the dumpster lid, a Las Vegas neighbor was shocked to see a 12-pound Chihuahua howling for attention—luckily the garbage truck hadn't yet turned the corner. A Las Vegas neighborhood security camera captured an individual exiting a dark SUV Monday morning, carrying a chihuahua to a dumpster before throwing it in. The individual driving back to close the dumpster lid. 'We had an individual reach out to us that went to throw trash away in a dumpster, and happened to find a dog inside the dumpster,' Lindsey Pinapfel, a Vegas Pet Rescue Project volunteer, said. 'From there, they were able to backtrack to their cameras and see what time that dog arrived in that dumpster.' Pinapfel said it appeared the individual carried the dog by the scruff of the neck before throwing the Chihuahua in the dumpster. 'I don't care what this dog did, there is no excuse for the abuse that this dog just had to endure but there are resources,' she said. The incident follows the revival of 'Reba's Law' in the Nevada Legislature which aims to implement harsher penalties on animal cruelty convictions. 'This is the exact reason that we need harsher punishment and stricter rules and laws in regard to animal abuse,' Pinapfel said. Pinapfel said the Chihuahua, named Atreyu after the 1984 movie The NeverEnding Story, is now recovering at a Las Vegas animal hospital. 'We need to hold people accountable, and something needs to change,' she said. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Animal Cruelty Division is investigating the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Blue-nosed pit bull left for dead recovers in foster home as ‘Reba's law' moves forward
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A blue-nosed pit bull named Cole who was left for dead last month after being dumped near a gutter on the historic west side has turned a corner. In March, Cole's skin was inflamed and blistered, his feet raw and swollen he was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment. Abandoned pit bull rescued from road, recovering from dehydration, infection Nearly a month later, 8 News Now checked up on Cole, who made it out of Horizon Ridge Animal Hospital alive, with his appetite back, and his skin healing from mange, Cole is now in a foster home. 'He's just in recovery mode, so Cole is getting weekly baths and treatment for his ears to make sure they treat the infections inside. It's just about him thriving and surviving in a loving home,' Lindsey Pinapfel with Vegas Pet Rescue Project explained. His foster mom, Donna Phan, saw that there was a need and stepped right in to help him. Phan shared with 8 News Now how serious animal cruelty is across the valley. 'It's unfortunate that a lot of people know about the abuse, but they don't speak up. I think silence is the biggest betrayal; Especially because these animals can't speak for themselves,' Phan said. 'Reba's law' revived by Nevada Legislature 'I'm really glad the community has come through, especially with Reba's Law,' she added. Reba's Law also known as Assembly Bill 381 would establish tougher penalties on acts of animal cruelty. Reba, an English bulldog died in July after being left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke and shock, according to Vegas Pet Rescue Project. On Monday, the Nevada Assembly moved to revive the bill that missed the Friday deadline to move out of committee. An exemption granted to AB 381 keeps the bill alive, and it advanced on a unanimous vote. It will now go to the full Assembly, where it will be considered for passage. From there, Senate approval is necessary before it can become law. While Cole the pit bull still has a long road back to recovery, he will be up for adoption soon. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Reba's law' revived by Nevada Legislature
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Assembly moved quickly Monday to revive 'Reba's Law,' a bill that missed the Friday deadline to move out of committee. An exemption granted to Assembly Bill 381 keeps the bill alive, and it advanced on a unanimous vote. The bill inspired emotional support when it was first heard on March 19, and when the deadline came and went without passage, the public reacted with surprise. 'I'm very pleased to see that this bill will be moving forward,' Republican Assem. Melissa Hardy, who sponsored the bill, said on Monday. 'As I stated from the beginning, the intent was to seek justice for Reba and to be the voice for the voiceless, those that are harmed, abused and killed that can't speak for themselves.' Reba, an English bulldog that died in July after being left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke and shock, according to Vegas Pet Rescue Project. 'Although we can't bring her back, this will hopefully provide accountability and save other animals that won't have to suffer as she did,' Hardy said. Democratic Assem. Brittney Miller, chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, explained how lawmakers brought AB381 back despite the passing of the deadline. 'Amendments come and go and change at rapid speed as we approach the deadline,' Miller said. As that plays out, committee chairs monitor which bills have enough votes to pass and which ones don't. 'This bill was never put up for a vote. What we were referring to is did we have the votes internally in order to vote it out of committee for committee passage,' she said. 'Sometimes amendments work in a different direction and members make decisions in different directions,' Miller said. In this case, an amendment that would have repealed part of existing law caused some supporters to withdraw their votes. Language that defined what constitutes abandoning an animal was specific about injured animals, and didn't include anything about the possibility that healthy animals can also be abandoned. The move to give the bill an exemption allowed the committee to pass it on Monday. AB381 now goes to the full Assembly, where it will be considered for passage. From there, Senate approval is necessary before it can become law. Miller said the bill, as it stands now, is more robust and will make a better law if it is passed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
