Category Archives: Dog Safety

Recent Changes to Nevada Pet Law

Recently, people have taken to the streets to protest in Nevada to ask for changes to Nevada law concerning animal cruelty. Last September protesters gathered to lobby for stricter penalties for the miss treatment of animals in our state. As a result, a new ordinance past Las Vegas states that a person convicted of harming killing or abusing a pet will be barred from owning another pet for two up to five years. City officials recently broadened penalties for animal cruelty in our state. Under a recent ordinance past which was spearheaded by Las Vegas councilman Stavros Anthony, it is now illegal to tie your tether a pet outside for more than 10 hours during a 24 hour. Furthermore, they cannot be tethered outside at all if the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory. It is sad that this commonsense principle must be passed into law based upon recent horrible events concerning animal cruelty in our state.

In addition, under the ordinance, when temperatures reach 105° pet owners are required to have some type of cooling mechanism such as a misting system or portable air conditioners if their pet is outside. Commonsense says you would keep your pet inside during such extreme temperatures. The new ordinances which disallow tethering your pet which means tying them up outside bring the law in the City of Las Vegas against animal cruelty into alignment with other states. Under these city provisions the duration allowed to tether a pet in the city is strict then the states 14-hour limit. This means that in the city you are not permitted to tether your dog for more than 10 hours and in the state, you are not allowed to other dogs more than 14 hours. Specifically, the city ordinance states as follows:

1.2 Dog restraints and enclosures

With regard to dogs, it is a crime in Nevada to restrain a dog for more than fourteen (10) hours during a twenty-four (24) hour period. (In Las Vegas, the limit is 10 hours in a 24-hour period.) It is also illegal to restrain a dog by either:

using a prong, pinch, or choke collar or similar restraint, or

using a tether, chain, tie, trolley or pulley system, or other device that:

is less than twelve (12) feet in length, or

fails to allow the dog to move at least twelve (12) feet or,

allows the dog to reach a fence or other object that may cause the dog to become injured, entangled, or to die by strangulation after jumping the fence or object

Animal advocates praise these new ordinances which will protect Nevada pets from the extreme temperatures of the summer. These new ordinances come at the advocation by Councilman Anthony as a result of recent animal cruelty events which would shock most of our collection collective conscience. These new regulations made by the city of Las Vegas mirror the changes made by the city of North Las Vegas in December after the very sad story of Lily the laboratory retriever.

In August 2020 retriever Lily died after being tethered it outside in the heat in North Las Vegas. The owner Arnold Galanto, 42, was formally charged in January in North Las Vegas Municipal Court. The charges came about a month after the city in December changed the ordinances to allow harsher penalties for such blatant animal abuse. Galanto was charged with illegally tethering his brown Labrador retriever mix outside his home for two days on August 19 and 20th. A very sad video came forward showing Lily lying partly in the sun with her mouth open. You could see that it was just torturing the poor animal. Sadly, Lily passed away from heat exposure. The ordinance passed by the city of North Las Vegas in December reduce the time that a dog could be tethered outside during the 24-hour period from 14 hours to 10 hours. Animal rights advocates pushed for felony charges to be filed in such a situation. However, the new ordinance makes it a misdemeanor in such situations.

The new ordinance passed in the city of Las Vegas not only prevents a pet owner from owning an animal for two to five years following a conviction, and it also bars a convicted person from living in the same household as a pet or working at a place where they have access to animals such as a shelter. Animal cruelty and torture in Nevada is a misdemeanor crime in Las Vegas punishable by $1000 fine and up to six months. However, it is a felony to harm or maliciously torture or kill a pet. The city attorney prosecutes misdemeanor cases while the more egregious cases are turned over to the district attorney’s office. Penalties can be severe, especially after the first offense:

1.3. Penalties

The punishment for unjustifiably maiming, mutilating, or killing any cat or any dog or any animal kept for companionship or pleasure (whether belonging to the defendant or not) depends on the defendant’s state of mind:

If the act is committed in order to threaten, intimidate, or terrorize another person, it is a category C felony in Nevada carrying one to five (1 – 5) years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
If the act is committed willfully and maliciously, it is a category D felony carrying one to four (1 – 4) years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

Otherwise, the punishment for a first-time offense is a misdemeanor, and the penalties get harsher with each successive offense within a seven (7)-year period. And depending on the circumstances the defendant may be ordered to surrender ownership or possession of the allegedly mistreated animal:

A first offense of animal cruelty within the preceding seven (7) years is prosecuted as a misdemeanor in Nevada carrying:

two (2) days to six (6) months in Clark County Detention Center (or another county jail), and
48 to 120 hours of community service, and
$200 to $1,000 in fines, and
restitution for all costs associated with the care and impoundment of any mistreated animal including money expended for veterinary treatment, feed, and housing

A second offense of animal cruelty within a seven (7)-year period is also a misdemeanor in Nevada. The sentence is increased to:

Ten (10) days to six (6) months in Clark County Detention Center (or another county jail), and
100 hours to 200 hours of community service, and
$500 to $1,000 in fines, and
restitution for all expenses for the care and impoundment of the mistreated animal such veterinary services, food, and shelter

Finally, a third or subsequent offense of animal cruelty within a seven (7) year span is prosecuted as a category C felony in Nevada. The punishment includes:

one to five (1 – 5) years in prison, and
maybe up to $10,000 in fines, and
restitution for the expense of treating, feeding, and housing the mistreated animal.

At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are pet owners and active in charitable pet organizations. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please do not hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.

At our office, we are experienced in helping injured victims get the compensation they are entitled to. Insurance companies never have the best interest of the injured person at the top of their priorities. They want to pay as little on every claim as possible. Having worked for an insurance company as an attorney for 9 years before opening my boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I have reviewed thousands of auto accident claims and policy provisions.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLaweyer.com, Laura Marie Payne-Hunt and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

I was Bitten by a Dog, What are my Rights?

FIVE THINGS TO DO WHEN BITTEN BY A DOG

Get the Dog Owners full name, address, and phone number
Call Animal Control to the scene immediately
Call the Police
Take photos of your injury, the location and the dog if possible
Seek Medical attention.

Dog Bite Victims In Nevada Need to Obtain Legal Counsel Immediately to Preserve the Evidence.

In Nevada, the dog owner is not automatically considered liable for your injuries. http://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-202.html#NRS202Sec500 For this reason, it is extremely important to obtain counsel immediately following a dog bite so that the proper evidence can be gathered to establish the owners liability for injuries sustained. The Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt,Esq. can immediately take steps to preserve the evidence in your case.

The personal injury victim has the burden to establish the dog owner was negligent. The required evidence and documentation must be gathered immediately to establish the owners liability for injuries sustained. If you or a loved one has been attacked or bitten by a dog that is not yours Henderson personal injury Law Offices of Laura Payne Hunt, Esq. can help you recover your medical bills and money for the pain and suffering and trauma you have endured, if this happens to you, consider hiring a philadelphia premises liability attorney.

If the owner was negligent in maintaining their dog, for instance the dog was loose or not on a leash, the owner can be liable for injuries sustained by the victim. As a practical matter, if your injury does not warrant medical attention, it is not likely worth pursuing a claim for injury against the owner of the dog. However, is your injury is severe, the owner should be held liable for your injuries.

If the dog owner has homeowners insurance that does not exclude the breed involved in the attack, it can take time to settle your claim since negotiations cannot begin until the extent of the scaring is known. Meanwhile, the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, Esq. can assist you in deferring payment of some of your bills, and/or getting ongoing treatment.

Tell Your Homeowners Insurance Company about all Dogs you own

In cases where the dog owner owns a home, the personal injuries sustained by the victim are covered by homeowner’s liability insurance policy. It is important to note that many homeowners’ policies are starting to exclude specific breeds of Wild Blue French Bulldogs and considering them dangerous animals such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Chows, Dobermans etc. When purchasing homeowners insurance, it is extremely important to list any pets you have and their breed. Failure to advise your homeowner’s insurance company that you have a specific breed of dog can result in you being personally liable for the injuries your dog may cause. If you fail to advise your homeowner’s insurance company of the pet that you own in your home, they may deny coverage for the injuries. It is important to remember to call your homeowners insurance company each time you get a new dog to advise them of the breed to confirm you are protected from personal liability in the event your dog injuries someone.

How Many Dog Bites are there every year?

In the United States, approximately 90 million dogs are owned as pets, according to a survey by the American pet products Association from 2017 to 2018. The centers for disease control and prevention have estimated that approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States each year. Sadly, the rate of dog bite claims is highest for children 5 to 9 years old. The centers for disease control also estimate that over half of the dog bite injuries occur at the home where the dog lives.

According to The Insurance Information Institute, it is estimated that insurers paid approximately $675 million in liability claims related to dog bites in 2018. An analysis of insurance data by the Insurance Information Institute found that there was a decrease in dog bite claims to 17,297 in 2018 down from 18,522 in 2017 which was a 6.6% decrease. The Insurance Information Institute also found that the cost per claim had risen 5.3% in 2018. According to their analysis, the average cost payout for a dog bite claim nationwide was $39,017 in 2018.

Interestingly, approximately 20% of all dog bite claims arose in the states of Florida and California. All of these injury claims are not solely attributed to dog bites. Often a dog can knock down a child, a bicyclist or an elderly person which can result in potentially severe injury to the victim.

https://www.iii.org/article/spotlight-on-dog-bite-liability

What Kind of Medical Attention Should I get?

It is important that you obtain medical care if necessary right away for your dog bite injury or dog related injury. It is also important to call animal control if the dog involves an injury where you are knocked off a bicycle or knocked down by an animal but not actually bitten. Liability can still attached to the dog owner for your injuries. If your injuries are severe you should seek treatment at the emergency room. If your injuries are moderate you should seek treatment adequate care to document your injury and obtain stitches that you may need or x-rays. It is very important to photograph your injury daily following the accident. Most dog bites involve residual scarring and it is important to have the evidence of the initial wound and how long it took to heal and the scarring that remains when the injury is healed. Often times, dog bite injuries will necessitate a scar revision surgery. At the personal injury Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt we work with very skilled doctors and plastic surgeons to find the right medical care for you to minimize any scarring you have sustained as a result of a dog bite injury. As in any personal injury claim, documentation and proof is key to maximizing your recovery for the pain, suffering and loss that you sustain. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne Hunt, Esq., we will guide you and assist you through the entire process and make sure that you get the care that you need for the personal injury you sustained.

Criminal penalties for dog owners

Although it is uncommon, there can be criminal penalties on behalf of the dog owner. In January 2001 the tragic death of Diane Whipple resulted from being attacked in the doorway of her San Francisco apartment by two pit bulls owned by Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel. Both of the owners were convicted of manslaughter for harboring a mischievous dog that killed a person. Although they were convicted on different charges both were sentenced to a four year prison sentence. They became the first Californians convicted of murder for their dog’s actions.

This was only the third time that such charges have been upheld in the United States. The first conviction was in Kansas in 1997. It is important to understand that criminal liability can attach for ownership of certain pets. If you are severely attacked by an animal, you should call the police and animal control both and you should be willing to press charges as a personal injury victim. At The Law Offices Of Laura Payne-Hunt, Esq., Laura and her staff love dogs and dog owners. Over the years we have donated to various animal welfare organizations. We understand the nature of pet ownership and we believe that a responsibility attaches with such ownership. Pet owners should be held accountable for the actions of their pets if they injure residents of their community including Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. At the personal injury Law Offices Of Laura Payne-Hunt, Esq. we will also assist all regulatory departments investigating the incident and if criminal charges should be brought, we will push for such charges to be brought against the negligent pet owner.

Contact Us If you or a loved is the victim of a Dog related injury

Often times we see clients and they want to minimize their injury and get on with their life. At the personal injury Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, we will help you quickly get back on track while also healing and recovering from your injuries. We will assist you in documenting your injuries and make sure that you get the proper medical care you need at the most convenient location and time for you. We understand at the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt that victims of personal injury need to go on with their life in spite of the injury that they sustained. We specialize in helping victims of personal injuries in all aspects of their recovery as well as preserving evidence of the injury itself.

Dog bites can cause traumatic, painful, emotional, and residual injuries for which monetary compensation is warranted and allowed under the law. If you have a question about a dog bite injury and/or any questions regarding a personal injury, whether from a car accident or a slip and fall or any combination of injuries, please don’t hesitate to call The Law Offices of Laura Payne Hunt, PC, and Henderson Injury Attorneys for over 13 years. Please call our office if you or if a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence. If you have been in any type of accident and have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices today. At our office, we are experienced in helping injured victims get the compensation they are entitled to. Insurance companies never have the best interest of the injured person at the top of their priorities. They want to pay as little on every claim as possible. Having worked for an insurance company as an attorney for 9 years before opening my boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I reviewed thousands of auto accident claims and policy provisions.

At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury Law Offices of Laura Payne Hunt, PC we are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury Henderson offices. The Law Offices of Laura Payne Hunt is a boutique, family owned law firm in Henderson that specializes in helping injured people and the community with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.

How to Escape a Vicious Dog Attack

Angry Canine: How to Escape a Sudden Dog Attack

For centuries, dogs have provided loyal companionship and protection. Although most dogs are friendly, a moody dog may suddenly lash out at you in an aggressive manner. Here are three tips to help you to survive an unexpected dog attack.

Try to Remain Calm

Although a dog attack can be a very horrifying experience, it is critical that you remain as calm as possible. If the animal senses that you are a threat, it may begin to become even more confrontational. Instead of immediately running away, slowly back away from the aggressive dog. Remember, dogs are natural hunters that love to chase other animals.

Protect Your Body

In the event that the dog tries to jump on you, use a weapon to keep away the animal. Some of the potential weapons include a purse, a stick and pepper spray. Never attempt to fight off an angry dog with by flailing your arms or legs. In the eyes of the dog, your limbs are targets. If the canine bites into your flesh, use your body weight to break its hold.

Avoid Eye Contact

According to an experienced dog bite attorney in Las Vegas, you should try to avoid eye contact with an attacking dog. A stare-down with an aggressive dog could actually escalate the situation. By looking away, you will give the dog a chance to calm down. Hot-tempered dogs can snap at any given moment.