Bill would strengthen animal protections

Jennifer Coleman

Thursday, March 25, 1999 | 8:05 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Responding to the December killing of 34 horses, Nevada legislators may increase the penalty for killing a wild horse to a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

SB356 would also 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 bill 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 head of the state agency investigating that crime urged the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to endorse SB356.

"Our agency has been up to our ears in this issue recently," said Paul Iverson, administrator of the Nevada Division of Agriculture.

Iverson said the issue is an ongoing one for his department, which has eight law enforcement officers to take care of all livestock issues in the state.

Iverson was one of dozens of supporters of the bill at the hearing - along with a police dog and several dogs working as or in training to be guide dogs for the blind.

The Nevada Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Humane Society, the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association and several other groups are supporting the measure. No one testified against it.

"This bill is crucial to the protection of these animals who do so much to protect us," said Washoe Sheriff Deputy Duane Meyer, who brought "Tyson," one of eight police dogs in the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, to the hearing.

Nile Carson of the Reno Police Department said there are five dogs and four horses working in his department and there are plans to add a bomb-sniffing dog.

"There have been conspiracies to kill drug-sniffing dogs because they are so good at what they do," he said.

Susan Asher, executive director of the Nevada Humane Society, said her office hears reports of abused animals on a daily basis. She added that most cases involve neglect, with about 3 percent of complaints involving abuse.