Nevada law sets rules for animal care, cruelty penalties, and pet rescues

Peace officers and animal control officers who take an animal found in cruel conditions must provide care, or may humanely destroy it under specified conditions. This applies to animals taken by a peace officer or animal control officer after being found treated cruelly. Humane destruction is allowed with the owner's written permission, a court order, or a recommendation from a licensed veterinarian, veterinary technician, or euthanasia technician. If the owner does not request a hearing within seven calendar days after notice, or is not found within seven calendar days after notice is posted, the animal is forfeited to the local government that took it. That government decides how to dispose of it.

A person who willfully and maliciously commits specified cruelty against an animal faces a category B felony if the act kills the animal or is done to threaten, intimidate, or terrorize someone. The penalties cover specified acts against companion animals, cats, dogs, and police animals. The death-based penalty applies to cruelty involving a companion animal, cat, or dog. The threat-based penalty applies to cruelty covered by the specified prohibition. Each category B felony carries one to six years in state prison and may include a fine of up to $10,000. Willfully and maliciously torturing, mutilating, injuring, poisoning, disabling, or killing a police animal is a category B felony if the animal is totally disabled or killed. It carries one to six years in prison and may include a fine of up to $10,000.

A court may bar someone from taking an animal in a temporary domestic violence order. Courts may also order animal cruelty defendants on probation to attend rehabilitation or education programs. The temporary order may cover an animal owned or kept by the person subject to a domestic violence order. The probation and juvenile court provisions apply to animal cruelty cases. For a child found delinquent for animal cruelty or torture, the juvenile court must order a psychological evaluation and counseling or other treatment. The court generally may not make the child or family pay, with exceptions for an unapproved provider or care beyond the recommendation. A court may order an adult defendant on probation for an animal cruelty conviction to attend a rehabilitative or educational program. The court may order the defendant to pay costs based on the defendant’s ability to pay.

A person outside the listed officials may use reasonable means to protect and remove a pet from a vehicle without civil or criminal liability. This applies to people who are not among the officials and responders listed separately in the law. The person must reasonably believe the pet faces a significant risk, determine the vehicle is locked or there is no other reasonable way to help, contact a law enforcement or other listed agency for help, stay nearby until told they may leave, and cooperate with responders.