LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The North Las Vegas City Council is expected to consider changes to its animal ordinance today following the death of a dog on a hot summer day.
“Lily” died in 115 degree temperatures on a late August day, chained up in a yard and unable to get to water or shade. No charges were filed in the case.
The case drew a protest at a City Council meeting in early September, and the overhaul of the city’s animal ordinance followed.
“We are so thankful to City Councilman Richard Cherchio and the other members of the City Council for placing this important item on the agenda,” said Gina Greisen, President of Nevada Voters For Animals.
“Lily died a horrific death, and it was not in vain,” she said. “The added protections and procedures to the City Of Las Vegas Municipal Code will go a long way to protect animals from the heat and outdoor elements.”
But Chercio sees the changes to the ordinance as more than a reaction to Lily’s death.
“This ordinance tonight is not about what happened to Lily,” he said. “We have been working on changes for some time to provide more tools so to speak for our newly named Animal Protection Officers. This is all about our vision here in North Las Vegas to be more proactive with protecting the lives and welfare of our animal population.”
Cherchio said the ordinance will cover the problems of providing shade and cooling during hot months, and the needs of animals in cold weather as well. The ordinance will also address how long an animal can be tethered.
While North Las Vegas didn’t file charges in Lily’s case after the district attorney’s office reviewed the case and declined to file charges, Cherchio said the situation will be different going forward. “We will now do our due diligence, and look over all the evidence and make our decision accordingly.”
A video of Lily taken by a distraught neighbor who tried for days to notify animal control brought an emotional reaction.
Nevada Voters for Animals has pressed for changes to laws to protect animals, and helped pass Cooney’s Law, named for a dog that was mutilated with a box cutter.
