Both defendants accused in death of Reba the bulldog plead guilty

A second person has pleaded guilty in connection with the death of Reba the bulldog, which became a cause celebre for animal rights activists and led to a new law.

Isaac Laushaul Jr., 32, admitted to a felony count of cruelty to animals Wednesday.

“This defendant pled straight up to the charge he was facing,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson. “I’m very happy that justice has been served to the extent it can be under the law.”

The plea agreement specified that prosecutors would not make a recommendation at his sentencing, set for Sept. 10. Laushaul also agreed to pay restitution, including veterinary costs.

Police have said Laushaul was the dog’s owner. He and 30-year-old Markeisha Foster were arrested in December and accused of leaving the pet in a plastic container that was sealed shut and abandoned outside a Las Vegas supermarket in July 2024.

Reba was found in breathing distress and died of heatstroke. She became the namesake for “Reba’s Law,” which was recently signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo and intends to stiffen animal cruelty penalties.

Foster pleaded guilty to a count of attempt to kill, disfigure or maim an animal of another on June 5, a day after District Judge Ronald Israel ejected the public from his courtroom and tried to hold a secret hearing in her case.

The plea deal Foster entered was initially sealed in a move criticized by legal experts. Israel unsealed the document days after the Las Vegas Review-Journal filed a motion seeking access.

Laushaul’s trial was scheduled to start Aug. 25. Foster had agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.