2 suspects in bulldog killing to appear in court Monday

Bail was set at $50,000 for one of two suspects accused of involvement in the saga of Reba, the bulldog who died after being put into a plastic tote and left in a dumpster.

The incident sparked outrage from several members of the community and drew tens of thousands of donations toward finding those responsible for putting Reba in the dumpster.

Markeisha Chanpale Foster and Isaac Laushaul Jr. placed Reba inside the taped-shut plastic tote in July, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The tote was discovered July 26 inside a dumpster outside a Von’s supermarket on the 1100 block of East Twain Avenue near South Maryland Parkway.

Reba was still alive and whimpering and barking when she was found, police said, but she was in severe breathing distress. Despite efforts to save her life at a local animal hospital, the dog died.

Laushaul Jr. and Foster were booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Saturday, on felony charges of willful or malicious torture, maiming or killing of an animal. Laushaul Jr. refused to show up for his appearance in court Sunday morning. He and Foster are scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Foster has 15 misdemeanors and 14 prior failures to appear in court. She also has four open cases, Judge Amy Ferreira said. The judge also ruled that Foster cannot have any contact with animals while the case is pending and that animal control can randomly check her residence. Foster also will be placed on electronic surveillance.

The judge said neighbors had previously expressed concern about the care of Reba.

Public outrage

The case garnered attention from the public, who donated $25,000 in late July to offer as a reward for information on who might be involved in Reba’s death.

“I was nauseated, appalled, sickened that somebody could do this to a living creature,” John Waudby, who created the website “Justice for Reba,” told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sunday.

Waudby, who has three rescue dogs himself, said that when he found out about the arrests on Saturday, he felt utter “joy” and “elation.” He attended both hearings Sunday.

Metro Sgt. William Gethoefer asked the public for assistance in August.

“We need a tip from the community. We need someone to come forward with knowledge of what happened to Reba and let us know where we can direct our attention,” Gethoefer said in a video posted to X.

Another reward for $50,000 was offered, when the largest no-kill shelter in the country, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and a private donor each donated an additional $25,000.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.