Nye DA provides update on animal cruelty cases

The Nye County District Attorney’s Office provided an update this week on what it described as two serious animal cruelty cases.

Clifton Pappas was sentenced to prison on Aug. 26 for his actions in using a firearm to kill three dogs belonging to his former girlfriend, the Nye County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Pappas had earlier entered a guilty plea to torturing, maiming, mutilating or killing an animal, a category D felony, the release said. He will serve his sentence in a facility determined by the Nevada Department of Corrections.

“Pets and other animals are very important to the people of our community,” District Attorney Chris Arabia said in a statement. “In fact, they are often like family and so we take our obligations to them seriously.”

Sentencing was handed down by District Court Judge Robert Lane.

Separately on Aug.26, the court also accepted the guilty plea of Gregory Kerkorian in a case stemming from abuse through neglect of numerous cats, many of whom starved to death, the news release said.

Kerkorian entered guilty pleas to two counts of animal cruelty, a category D felony. The court could sentence Kerkorian to prison on one or both counts. If he receives probation, he will be unable to possess animals during the term of probation. Kerkorian also agreed to pay restitution.

“Cats and dogs deserve justice,” Arabia said. “These cases reflect our belief that this kind of behavior should be punished, and punished harshly.”