Transfer of impounded animal owned or possessed by arrested and detained person: Recovery for cost of care; lien.
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 171.1539
in effect1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 574.201 to 574.204 , inclusive, if a person is lawfully arrested and detained and any animal owned or possessed by the person is impounded by the county, city or other local government in which the person is arrested at the time of the arrest or after the arrest, the person may provide the name of any person who is authorized to care for the animal. The county, city or other local government or animal shelter must transfer the animal to such a person if the county, city or other local government determines that the person is able to provide adequate care and shelter to the animal. If within 10 days after the county, city or other local government impounds the animal no such authorized person is able to provide adequate care and shelter to the animal, the county, city or other local government or animal shelter:
(a) May allow another person who is able to provide adequate care and shelter to care for the animal temporarily; or
(b) May take possession of the animal.
2. The State shall create and maintain a written notice which must:
(a) Inform the person or the public that an animal, owned or possessed by a person who has been arrested and detained, may have been impounded;
(b) Include the current contact information of each animal shelter in each county, city or other local government responsible for:
(1) Impounding an animal; and
(2) Providing care and shelter to an animal;
(c) Be available in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Standard Chinese;
(d) Be provided to each county or city jail or detention facility; and
(e) Be posted in a conspicuous place in each county or city jail or detention facility.
3. A person lawfully arrested and detained:
(a) May make a reasonable number of completed telephone calls from a county or city jail or detention facility for the purpose of locating an animal impounded pursuant to this section; and
(b) Shall not be charged for each completed call to an animal shelter listed in the written notice posted pursuant to subsection 2.
4. If a person is convicted of the crime for which he or she was lawfully arrested, the county, city or other local government or animal shelter may by appropriate legal action recover the reasonable cost of any care and shelter furnished to the animal by the county, city or other local government or animal shelter, including, without limitation, imposing a lien on the animal for the cost of such care and shelter.
5. The board of county commissioners of each county, if its jurisdiction to enact and enforce ordinances relating to animals is not limited by an interlocal agreement, may adopt an ordinance which provides for time of not less than 5 days to a person lawfully arrested or detained for the purpose of providing the person a reasonable opportunity to locate another person to take possession of an animal. Such a reasonable opportunity is provided upon assistance from a county, city or other local government or an animal shelter.
6. The city council or other governing body of each incorporated city, whether organized under general law or special charter, if its jurisdiction to enact and enforce ordinances relating to animals is not limited by an interlocal agreement, may adopt an ordinance which provides for time of not less than 5 days to a person lawfully arrested or detained for the purpose of providing the person a reasonable opportunity to locate another person to take possession of an animal. Such a reasonable opportunity is provided upon assistance from a county, city or other local government or an animal shelter.
7. As used in this section:
(a) Animal means any dog, cat, horse, other domesticated animal or undomesticated animal which is maintained as a pet. The term:
(1) Includes any chicken, pig, rabbit or other animal which is maintained as a pet whether or not the animal is domesticated.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph 1, does not include any cattle, sheep, goats, swine or poultry.
(b) Animal shelter has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 574.240 .
Source: NV Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-171.htmlFetched: 10/4/2026