LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Following the arrest of the two people accused of causing the death of “Reba” the bulldog, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson called on Nevada lawmakers and community members to help increase punishments for convicted animal abusers.
Animal rights advocates Marchelle Hedrick and Stephani Loffredo agree with the DA.
“As Wolfson said, there is not enough punishment for the crime, which everyone agrees with,” Loffredo said.
The two have had written proposals for animal abuse laws ready to go for 10 years, they just never had a lawmaker sponsor them.
“The penalties need to be harsher and strict and need to not be pled down to misdemeanors,” Hedrick said.
They’re hoping Reba’s story will bring eyes to what they’ve got and they say that under their proposals, the bulldog’s killers would face longer jail time.
“We are looking at a minimum of five years and a maximum of ten years,” Loffredo said.
That legislation is written for the state level. On the local side, city councils don’t have the ability to create felony-level laws.
Las Vegas City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman is sponsoring a bill that would create an Animal Advisory Committee to inform the council on the state of animal welfare.
Seaman said the council has done what it can when it comes to the law and she wants Wolfson to deny a plea.
“Yes, we can strengthen laws, but we do have tough laws on the books,” Seaman said. “And so we’re asking our DA, Steve Wolfson, to make sure that he holds them accountable and doesn’t plea this to a probation.”
Loffredo said she’s writing a proposal to create an animal abuser registry. Lawmakers proposed a similar bill in 2021 but it was never voted on. The Nevada Legislature is set to go into session on February 3rd.
