Former head of Boulder City animal shelter pleads guilty

Mary Jo Frazier, the former head of Boulder City’s animal shelter, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony animal cruelty charge.

Pet owners demanded Frazier be held accountable in the deaths of their animals after a Boulder City detective said she killed animals for fun. The detective investigated Frazier in April 2015 and spoke with shelter staff and city veterinarians, who said they rarely were asked to treat animals.

Frazier, who now resides in another state, faces up to four years in prison at a sentencing in January, though she also could be given probation, according to prosecutor Amy Ferreira.

Then-Police Chief Bill Conger initially closed the case. Frazier quit, sold her house and moved to Oregon.

Conger pleaded guilty in April to failure to perform a duty, a misdemeanor, and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine.

Frazier initially faced two counts of animal cruelty, but prosecutors believe she killed dozens more animals. The statute of limitations for animal cruelty stretches back three years, according to the prosecutor.

Authorities found that almost half of the animals received by the shelter since 2006 were euthanized by Frazier.

That is a lower percentage than other shelters, according to a survey by the American Humane Association, which indicated about 64 percent of animals were put to death after they were accepted at 1,000 facilities nationwide. But the group noted that in many cases the shelters were overcrowded and needed to make room for more animals — conditions not seen in Boulder City.

Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter.