Commissioner pushes dog-fighting restrictions
When Michael Vick was busted for operating a dog-fighting ring, Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly said he was inundated with phone calls from his constituents.
No one was concerned about how the Atlanta Falcons would fare without their star quarterback. Instead, residents told their commissioner to forget about the nationwide outrage stemming from Vick’s indictment and focus on his own district.
Weekly was stunned.
“I never thought about it,” the commissioner said. “This is not about Michael Vick, it’s about Michael Vick getting caught doing something people do all the time. He shed some light on an issue that’s been going on a very long time.”
The calls prompted Weekly to introduce a new ordinance designed to substantially punish those who host any type of animal fight as well as spectators of such events. Although a county code addressing fights already exists, it has never been enforced.
“I think that’s a problem,” Weekly said. “Things have changed; times have changed. This is cruelty and if you’re watching, you are just as guilty.”
Weekly’s district is generally bordered by Craig Road on the north, Charleston Boulevard on the south, U.S. Highway 95 on the west and Lamb Boulevard on the east. He says there’s a number of rural areas in the district, which makes for opportunities to hold dog fights.
He hopes his proposal will catch the attention of state legislators and prompt lawmakers to consider tougher statewide legislation regarding such events as dogfighting.
“Las Vegas is a huge animal city; there are a lot of people here who are dog or cat owners,” Weekly said. “There are some that will argue that I’m making a big to-do about nothing, but there are a lot of people who don’t feel that way.”
The Humane Society of the United States fits in the latter category.
The agency recently issued a report that listed Nevada as the fourth-worst state when it comes to dog-fighting laws. Nevada prohibits spectators, but still allows residents to possess fighting dogs.
According to a September Humane Society report that ranks the states, “lax laws against owning fighting dogs or being a spectator at a fight make it more difficult for law enforcement to crack down on this cruel activity.”
In Nevada, residents caught holding dog-fighting events face a Category D felony, meaning they face one to four years in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000. Spectators can be hit with a misdemeanor, which tops out at a six-month sentence and a $1,000 fine.
New Jersey has the toughest laws. Anyone caught possessing fighting dogs, attending a dog-fighting event or hosting a fight faces three to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Weekly said the new law will specifically define the meaning of spectator. He is not concerned that an innocent passerby might simply be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and receive a citation.
“Most of the time these situations happen in confined areas, not open streets,” Weekly said. “You are not stopping by, you know what you are going to. You’re there to gamble or you’re there for the entertainment.”
Joe Boteilho, the county’s chief of code enforcement, said the new ordinance allows law enforcement to make arrests even if the dog fight is not in progress.
“It’s not just the fight itself; it’s tough to catch them in the act,” Boteilho said. “If they’re putting together dogs and a pit, you have all the elements. That’s the kind of thing you want to find.”
Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or (702) 384-8710.