Man who killed injured dog receives probation

Karen Zekan

Monday, March 2, 1998 | 10:11 a.m.

A Nevada Power Co. employee has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of killing a dog and has been sentenced to six months' probation.

Neill Lamonds' demonstrated good character weighed heavily in his defense. Presiding Municipal Court Judge Nancy Saitta described the man as deeply remorseful for the actions on Jan. 10 that marred his otherwise clean record with a misdemeanor conviction for the illegal euthanasia of an animal.

"This was not a pleasurable circumstance for Mr. Lamonds at all," Saitta said. "He had a very difficult time (emotionally) when he came here. This is a man who I believe had a truly humanitarian intent and felt that he was saving the animal from misery."

The small brown dog had been hit by a car about 5:30 p.m. on Craig Road near Ivory Circle, and was at the feet of the motorist who struck it and another driver who had stopped and rushed to its side when Lamonds pulled up in his Nevada Power truck.

Tammy Ware, one of the witnesses, said Lamonds told her "we'll just have to knock it in the head" and proceeded to crack the dog's skull five times with a claw hammer he had in his truck before throwing the dying dog to a curb.

Ware's call to animal control launched an investigation which about three weeks later saw the Las Vegas city attorney's office file the misdemeanor charge.

Lamonds pled guilty in Saitta's court Feb. 12. Saitta said she received 18 letters from different citizens detailing Lamonds' good character and benevolence toward animals, including a letter from two young girls whom Lamonds had given a dog he found abandoned one day while working.

A licensed private investigator who works for the investigative office of Info Serve in Nevada also submitted an affidavit declaring Lamonds' actions as an effort to prevent the dog from suffering, Saitta said.

The investigation discovered that Lamonds had called animal control numerous times in past years to report sick and injured animals he had found. He was also known by his Nevada Power employers to be an animal lover who frequently rescued all types of abandoned, injured and lost critters.

"Because of his many experiences calling animal control, he knew that animal control has priorities," Saitta said. "He knew that dead and dying animals are low priorities. This dog was suffering with no (apparent) chance of surviving and he knew that it could be hours before animal control could get there."

Saitta herself is an animal lover and over the years while raising four children has made a home for dogs, cats, gerbils, ducks, fish, turtles, guinea pigs, and even "Quacky," one of several ducks born in her pool who she nursed back to health and set free at an area golf course.

"Did I like what happened here? No," Saitta said. "I don't think I would have accepted this case as it was submitted ... But everything I looked at and heard said that this man was trying to do the right thing. Even the prosecutor believed that he was trying to do the right thing."

The city attorney's office felt that probation would be sufficient punishment even though fines or community service could have been recommended.

Tom Henley, spokesman for Nevada Power, said that Lamonds remains employed by the company and that the matter was dealt with internally.

A message left by the SUN at Nevada Power for Lamonds requesting an interview was not returned.

Saitta was not at liberty to discuss the penalties Lamonds could incur if convicted of a similar crime.

"I can assure you that if I were to find out that Mr. Lamonds has harmed an animal in the future, I will look very harshly upon him."

The case stirred considerable controversy in the community and disturbed animal activists who considered Lamonds' actions as inhumane, based on the preliminary reports of the crime.

"I appreciate that this case is being looked at (by the community)," Saitta said. "It is true that often how you treat animals is how you treat other people. I only wish that we had the same outrage with the many cases of abused children."