Las Vegas Petition Demands Maximum Penalties in Working Dogs of Nevada Case
A Change.org petition is calling on Las Vegas Justice Court to pursue the maximum penalties available under Nevada law against two employees charged with felony animal cruelty in the Working Dogs of Nevada case.
The hearing is Wednesday, April 29.
The petition has been gathering signatures since it launched earlier this month. It asks the court to treat the felony charges with the seriousness they deserve, arguing that anything less is “permission to do it again.”
John Johnstone, 38, faces four felony counts of willful and malicious torture of a dog. Tabitha Berube, 32, faces one count. Both posted bond after their April 1 arrest and have been free since.
Wednesday’s appearance is a status check on the filing of the criminal complaint.
The charges stem from a weeks-long LVMPD investigation that began after a former employee secretly recorded training practices at the facility near Lake Mead and Tenaya.
Surveillance footage later obtained by detectives showed dogs being lifted off the ground by their leashes and subjected to shock collars when they didn’t comply with commands.
Police seized 35 dogs when they executed the search warrant and suspended the facility’s business license on an emergency basis.
The seized dogs are currently at The Animal Foundation under a legal hold while the case moves through the courts.
You can add your name at Change.org here.