LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has filed a felony charge against a Las Vegas man in connection with the drowning death of a cat named Rita, according to a release provided by his office.
Prosecutors said Joshua Booth was charged with one count of willfully or maliciously torturing, maiming, or mutilating an animal kept for companionship or pleasure, which caused the animal’s death, according to the DA’s office.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.
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The charge follows an investigation that began after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a call at a neighboring woman’s home, prosecutors said. The woman provided surveillance video that allegedly showed her cat being thrown from Booth’s garage into the street while soaking wet.
Detectives later searched the garage and found a garden hose and a tub filled with water, prosecutors said. Police also found another cat that was wet and appeared distressed.
The district attorney’s office pointed to “Reba’s Law,” which took effect at the start of the year and increased penalties for certain animal cruelty convictions to a Category B felony. The office said the offense carries a possible prison sentence of one to six years and a fine of up to $10,000.
“My office takes animal abuse cases extremely seriously,” District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a statement. “Acts of cruelty against defenseless animals are disturbing and will not be tolerated in our community.”
The district attorney’s office says the case is pending and clarified that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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