Las Vegas judge orders prison for man accused in Reba the bulldog’s death

A judge ordered a 16-to-48-month prison sentence Wednesday for a man who was one of the two people accused in the death of Reba the bulldog, a case that became a rallying cry for animal rights advocates.

“We see much worse cases regarding abuse of children, etc., that never hit the media and never garner this much attention,” said District Judge Ronald Israel before sentencing Isaac Laushaul Jr. “And it does boggle the mind that those cases go unnoticed and nobody’s there to cry out for those victims.”

Laushaul and Markeisha Foster both made guilty pleas this summer. Foster pleaded guilty to a count of attempt to kill, disfigure or maim an animal of another in June. Laushaul admitted to a felony count of cruelty to animals in July.

The duo were accused of leaving the dog in a sealed plastic container that was abandoned outside a Las Vegas supermarket in July 2024. Reba was found in breathing distress and died of heatstroke.

Animal rights advocates tried to find those involved in the death and frequently attended hearings after Laushaul and Foster were arrested in December. The bulldog also was the namesake of an animal cruelty law signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo that aims to increase animal cruelty penalties.

In a statement, the Clark County district attorney’s office called the case “one of the most disturbing animal cruelty cases our office has ever prosecuted.”

The statement added: “This case was particularly egregious. Reba, an English Bulldog, suffered a cruel and senseless death at the hands of the person who should have cared for and protected her. The level of brutality exhibited in this crime shocked the conscience of this community — and rightly so.”

Laushaul asked for the forgiveness of the community and his family in a statement to the court.

Defense attorney Philip Singer, who wore a tie with an image of a bulldog on it, told the court that Laushaul and Laushaul’s family have been the target of death threats.

The lawyer, who said his client feels remorse, asked for a sentence of probation. Laushaul believed the dog had died and did not “knowingly” discard a living dog, he said.

“He’s been behind bars since December, in protective custody, while similarly situated defendants in the jurisdiction are not,” Singer said. “And I don’t think that’s fair.”

Singer said after court that the tape on the container was old tape. Had the case gone to trial, he said, it would have been difficult to find a fair jury, and the trial likely would have been moved.

Lindsey Pinapfel, a Vegas Pet Rescue Project representative, told reporters that Laushaul “has no character traits that really belong in this community.”

Reba was not the dog’s original name. She had been called Nike but was renamed after a passerby discovered her.

Prosecutors agreed not to make a recommendation at Laushaul’s sentencing and stipulated to a seven-month jail sentence with seven months’ credit for Foster, who promised to cooperate with authorities.

Foster’s sentencing is scheduled for Monday.

“It’s not just a dog,” Pinapfel said. “Reba’s life mattered, and that’s why we’re here, because every life matters.”

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