Make Animal Abuse a felony in Nevada, pass Cooney's Law

When Raymond Rios gutted the dog Cooney while still alive with a box cutter, the act was only a misdemeanor so he couldn't be arrested when police found him. Such an act could be a felony if Cooney had been a show dog but he was "just" a mutt. Supporters of the bill think all dogs and cats deserve to be treated with the same respect as show animals under Nevada law. They also think the bill will help law enforcement take notice sooner of people who, because they've tortured and killed animals, have a higher likelihood of graduating to crimes of violence against humans.

Senate Bill 223, which passed its Senate committee, is now being considered by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

"This bill is going to die if it doesn%u2019t get a work session this week and get voted out of
committee.
There was lots of extremely moving, emotional testimony in support of the bill but she's concerned committee members have let the memories fade of why it's so important to pass this bill. (One piece of testimony was from Rios' ex-wife who said he tortured a family pet in front of her and their 3-year-old son.)
There seems to be a mood in the current Assembly to decrease crime penalties in order to save money and Cooney's law might fall victim to this.