New Bills Address Animal Abuse
Two new bills adopted by the Las Vegas City Council Jan. 15, 2025, will help prevent animal abuse and neglect.
A limit was placed on the number of animals that can be sold by a pet shop or breeder to one person or household during a calendar year. That limit is now six dogs, six cats, four ferrets, four rabbits and two guinea pigs. Penalties were also established. The primary intent of the bill is help prevent animal abuse and neglect that sometimes occurs in connection with animal hoarding or other circumstances where too many animals are in the care or control of one person or household.
The penalty for animal abandonment also was increased to $1,000. The community has expressed concern that this amount should be higher.
Under state law, we can only issue misdemeanor penalties up to a $1,000 fine. The state legislature could decide in the future to give us additional power to set a higher fine. Anyone interested in seeing that happen should contact their representatives in the Nevada legislature.
Our Department of Public Safety and other departments continue to address illegal breeding. Recent operations by city enforcement departments targeting illegal puppy sales have resulted in dozens of citations issued, rescued dogs and a sharp drop in illegal puppy ads.
Why This Matters
- Stopping illegal breeding helps protect animals from neglect.
- It can lead to the discovery of additional community threats, like illegal weapons.
- The decline in puppy ads proves proactive steps work, deterring future harm.
Need Help?
If you need support to keep your pet, the Animal Foundation offers a variety of services from a food pantry to training boot camps.