NRS 574.100 FAQ

Nevada's animal cruelty law doesn't just apply to the person holding the shock collar. Here's what NRS 574.100 says about bystanders.

What is NRS 574.100?

It is Nevada's core animal cruelty statute. It makes it a crime to overdrive, overload, torture, or otherwise unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate, or kill an animal, and to deny an animal in your charge necessary sustenance, food, drink, or shelter. This is the same law LVMPD cited in the Working Dogs of Nevada investigation.

How does the law apply to bystanders?

You don't have to lay hands on the animal to be charged. The statute reaches anyone who causes, procures, or allows the cruelty, and anyone who instigates, engages in, or furthers it. A person who orders it, pays for it, helps it happen, or stands by in a position to stop it and lets it continue can share criminal responsibility with the person doing it.

What actions can make someone liable?

  • Directing or ordering another person to abuse, shock, drag, or hang an animal.
  • Paying for or requesting a so-called "training" method that is actually cruelty.
  • Helping carry out the abuse — holding the leash, operating the collar, or restraining the animal.
  • Allowing the abuse to continue when you control the animal, the facility, or the people doing it.
  • Instigating or furthering cruelty — goading it on, encouraging it, or covering it up afterwards.

Does simply witnessing abuse make me guilty?

Merely seeing cruelty from a distance is not, by itself, the same as committing it. But "allowing" and "furthering" have real meaning: if you have charge or control over the animal or the situation and let the abuse continue, you can be held responsible alongside the abuser. When in doubt, report it — that is always the safe side of this law.

What should I do if I see cruelty at a training facility?

Report it immediately. Contact LVMPD Animal Protective Services or call 311, document what you safely can, and file a complaint with City of Las Vegas Business Licensing. Reports are what build the record that gets a license suspended or revoked.

Is this page legal advice?

No. This FAQ is a plain-language summary for public awareness. Read the full text of NRS 574.100 and consult an attorney for any legal question.