DA charges man with felony cruelty to animals

A man has been charged with felony cruelty to animals after officials said he repeatedly beat his pit bull.

Roy Cozart, 30, beat his pit bull with a rock and the handle of a hammer, according to Clark County Animal Control. He is also accused of throwing Kilo, his dog, against a wall, District Attorney Steve Wolfson announced Friday in a press release.

The pit bull was abused multiple times between July 15 and Oct. 13, according to officials.

“Animal abuse is a serious offense that will not be tolerated,” Wolfson said. “We take all allegations of abuse very seriously and pursue criminal charges, when appropriate.”

Animal Control received reports of abuse from neighbors and seized Kilo on Oct. 15 to have him examined by a veterinarian.

“We are thankful the D.A. has taken animal cruelty seriously and has brought the appropriate charges against Roy Cozart,” said Gina Greisen, president of Nevada Voters for Animals. “While we have fought vigilantly for justice in this case we caution the media that there are young children that live in the home and hope that their safety and well being will be considered.

The Department of Family Services was not immediately available for comment.

“We are confident that policies and procedures addressing serious allegations of cruelty will improve as more animal cruelty cases are prosecuted under Cooney’s law,” Greisen said.

Cooney’s Law passed through the Nevada State Legislature in 2011 making animal cruelty a felony. The law is named after a 3-year-old Reno beagle who was killed last October when her owner cut her stomach open, thinking that a mouse crawled inside the dog. The owner was charged with a misdemeanor under the law in effect at the time.

Cruelty to animals is now a felony punishable by one to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@reviewjournal.com. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.