LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – For months, the Las Vegas community has been calling for justice for Reba the Bulldog. Now, two arrests have finally been made in the animal cruelty case that captured people’s attention nationwide.
WATCH: Video shows drop off of tote bin where Reba the Bulldog was found
“This is justice for Reba. This is her movement, and this is the beginning,” said Lindsey Pinapfel, a volunteer with the Vegas Pet Rescue Project.
On July 26, Reba was found in a tote bin taped shut inside a dumpster near Maryland and Twain. She died days later.
But animal advocates kept her story alive, with overwhelming support from the community.
“This has been going since August, and we have not stopped,” said Pinapfel. “We keep refreshing and making sure that her name stays out there because we have some one big promise that we made that her name was not going to be forgotten, and this was not going to die.”
On Saturday, those efforts and a lengthy investigation finally led to two arrests. Police say 32-year-old Isaac Laushaul Jr. was taken into custody Saturday. Records show 30-year-old Markeisha Foster was also arrested on Saturday. They’re both facing felony animal abuse charges.
“This is step one,” said Pinapfel. “The next step is to have this individual held to the fullest extent of the law.”
Both Laushal and Foster had court appearances scheduled for Sunday. However, Laushaul refused transport to court and failed to appear.
At Foster’s hearing Sunday afternoon, the judge set bail with electronic monitoring and ordered Foster to stay away from animals.
After seeing a disturbing trend of other animal abuse cases like Reba’s, Pinapfel hopes these arrests send a message to others.
“We need this person held to the fullest extent of the law so that Reba’s name is not forgotten. So that it also changes how people handle and deal with animals,” she said. “Reba is not just a dog anymore. Reba is a movement, and this is the beginning of change. This is the beginning of showing the world stop, just stop.”
Both suspects are due back in court Monday morning.
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