Senate approves greater protection for animals

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Wednesday, April 7, 1999 | 5:18 a.m.

SB396 is a response to the December killing of 34 wild horses near Reno. It increases the penalty for killing a wild horse to a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The bill also would increase the penalty for harming domestic animals and repeat offenders could be charged with a felony. Also, permanently disabling or killing a police animal would be a felony.

The measure was authored by Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, and Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno.

The horses killed in December were shot about five miles east of the Reno-Sparks area. Three men have been charged with grand theft, grand larceny and poisoning, maiming or killing another person's animal - punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

The Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Humane Society, the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association and several other groups, including many law enforcement agencies, are supporting the measure.

In a committee hearing on the bill in March, representatives from the Nevada Humane Society said they hears reports of abused animals on a daily basis. Most of those cases involve neglect, with about 3 percent of complaints involving abuse.