What is Cooney’s Law?

In Nevada, one beagle’s suffering exposed a devastating flaw in the justice system and sparked a statewide fight for reform.

Cooney, a three-year-old beagle from Reno, was brutally slashed open with a box cutter by her owner, Raymond Rios, who later claimed he thought he was cutting away a mouse.

What followed was an outrage that stunned animal lovers: Rios faced only a misdemeanor charge and walked away with a 30-day suspended sentence. No prison time. No felony. No justice.

The case ignited a movement, led by furious advocates who refused to let Cooney’s suffering be forgotten.

How a Horrific Attack Became a Turning Point

Before 2011, Nevada’s animal cruelty laws were shockingly weak. Even cases involving torture or mutilation of family pets resulted in little more than a slap on the wrist.

When activists — including Nevada Voters for Animals President Gina Griesen — learned that Cooney’s abuser hadn’t even been arrested at the scene, the public outcry grew impossible to ignore.

Former state Senator Shirley Breeden sponsored the bill that would become Cooney’s Law, officially Senate Bill 223, which Governor Brian Sandoval signed on June 10, 2011.

When it took effect on October 1, it transformed Nevada’s legal approach to animal abuse overnight.

A Landmark Shift in How Nevada Treats Animal Cruelty

Cooney’s Law didn’t just tighten penalties — it dragged the state into modern standards of animal protection.

Before its passage, torturing or killing a pet often meant a misdemeanor charge, even in disturbing cases of deliberate violence.

Under the new law, the intentional torture, mutilation, or killing of a companion animal became a felony offense, carrying far more serious consequences.

Lawmakers cited years of chilling research connecting animal cruelty to broader patterns of criminal behaviour.

One Massachusetts SPCA study revealed that 70% of animal abusers had committed at least one other crime, while 40% had histories of violent offences.

The FBI had long recognised animal cruelty as a red flag for future violence, using it as a profiling tool since the 1970s.

What Cooney’s Law Actually Does

Under the statute, dogs receive the highest level of protection.

A first offence involving a dog becomes a Category D felony, escalating to a Category C felony for a second offence, and a Category B felony — with one to six years in prison — on a third.

Other companion animals fall under slightly less severe but still significant felony classifications.

A Category D felony now carries up to four years behind bars and fines of up to $5,000, a dramatic shift from the suspended sentences and minimal penalties that once defined Nevada’s approach.

The law also recognises the dark intersection between animal cruelty and domestic violence.

If an abuser harms a pet in order to intimidate, threaten, or terrorise someone else in the home, enhanced penalties apply — acknowledging how often animals are targeted as tools of control.

The First Real Test of the Legislation

Nevada’s first major conviction under Cooney’s Law arrived in 2015 and showcased exactly why the legislation was necessary.

Former greyhound breeder George Papania abandoned two small Italian Greyhounds during winter after moving to Las Vegas, leaving them without sufficient food or water. One dog died.

The other, found with a severely broken leg, survived only because rescuers intervened. Papania insisted he checked on them every two days, but jurors were unconvinced.

They deliberated for just two hours before convicting him on two felony counts of animal torture and abandonment, each carrying up to four years in prison.

Since then, Cooney’s Law has underpinned several major prosecutions across the state.

In one particularly disturbing 2021 case, a man who tortured and hanged his dog on the Las Vegas Strip was convicted and sentenced to between 18 months and four years in prison, a punishment that would have been impossible before the law’s passage.

Part of a Larger Push for Stronger Animal Protection

Cooney’s Law was only one piece of a wider shift in Nevada’s stance on animal welfare.

That same legislative session saw the passage of Senate Bill 299, which cracked down on puppy mills by banning the sale of puppies under eight weeks old and tightening breeder regulations.

Former Las Vegas state Senator Mark Manendo, one of Nevada’s most vocal animal welfare advocates, pushed for additional reforms including a horse-tripping ban and an animal abuser registry.

Although not all initiatives became law, they showed the growing momentum toward comprehensive protections.

When Cooney’s Law was signed, Nevada joined 44 other states that already classified extreme animal cruelty as a felony.

But even a decade later, advocates warned that prosecutions still varied widely from county to county and urged continued pressure to ensure that abusers faced meaningful consequences.

One of the most impactful aspects of Cooney’s Law is its broad definition of abuse, covering willful and malicious acts involving torture, mutilation, injury, or killing of companion animals.

It also provides confidential reporting protections, giving witnesses the confidence to come forward without fear of retaliation.

The inclusion of enhanced penalties for cases linked to domestic violence reflects a growing national understanding of how frequently pets become silent victims in abusive households.

For pet owners, rescue groups, and advocates, Cooney’s Law remains a vital tool in protecting animals and ensuring abusers can no longer walk away with minimal punishment.

The difference now lies in how consistently the law is enforced and whether prosecutors prioritise these cases with the seriousness they deserve.

A Decade Later, the Fight Continues

Cooney’s Law stands as one of Nevada’s most important steps forward in defending vulnerable animals.

Its passage marked a turning point, signalling not just outrage but action, and the state has since secured felony convictions that would have been impossible under the old system.

Yet the original injustice — that a beagle brutally cut open received no meaningful justice — remains a reminder of why continued vigilance is necessary.

The legacy of Cooney’s suffering is a stronger, clearer, and more enforceable foundation for animal protection.

It is proof that tragedy can spark meaningful change and that determined advocates can reshape an entire legal landscape.

Nevada’s journey is far from over, but Cooney’s Law remains a powerful testament to what happens when a community refuses to stay silent.