Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

State Supreme Court offers hope for Onion in whether it should be euthanized

The court initially said it would not intervene in the case but in a second ruling offered the possibility of hearing the case

Updated Tuesday, May 29, 2012 | 5:08 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Onion, the dog that mauled and killed a 1-year-old boy in Henderson, is getting a stay of execution.

The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled no action should be taken against Onion until at least 72 hours after the district court make a decision on the fate of the dog.

The court granted the petition of The Lexus Project, a New York non-profit corporation for the protection of dogs, which initially asked the Supreme Court to step in and consider the case.

Lexus said it could not get a fair hearing in the district court. The court on Thursday rejected the petition to get involved, saying its intervention was not warranted. But on Friday, in a ruling that was not publicly distributed until Tuesday, the court ordered that any action against Onion be delayed for 72 hours until after District Judge Joanna Kishner rules.

Lexus said Onion could have been executed Tuesday.

Once Kishner rules, the Lexus Project is to notify the Supreme Court of the status of the case. The court indicated it may consider accepting the case then.

The court, in its first ruling, said Lexus failed to show its intervention at that point was warranted.

Jeremiah Eskew-Skahan was at the home of his grandmother Elizabeth Keller to celebrate his birthday on April 27 when he crawled toward-the 120 pound Mastiff/Rhodesian to pet him. The dog grabbed the boy by his head and started to shake him.

The youngster died at University Medical Center.

Lexus wants to send the jog to a sanctuary in Colorado.

The boy died at University Medical Center.

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