Thomas Staggs will serve house arrest as part of his sentence on three counts of animal cruelty.
Lyon County Judge Jeff Larson made the announcement during Staggs’ sentencing hearing Friday. Staggs will have 30 days of house arrest. During that time, he will be allowed to leave his house to go to work and back home as the only exception. He will also have GPS monitoring.
Staggs pleaded no contest to three counts of animal cruelty in October. He has 12 months of jail per count as an underlying sentence, but he also has 12 months of probation — and he won’t have to serve jail time unless he violates terms of his probation. Besides the normal probation terms, Staggs cannot own animals or firearms. He also cannot attend a casino during probation and he has to log 40 hours of community service.
Staggs had been facing 17 counts after Lyon County deputies and the private group Guardians of the Wolves went to 303 East Grand in Hartford in May, removing 17 dogs from the property. During Friday’s hearing, Staggs said the dogs belonged to his wife, Rhonda. He also said a veterinarian had given the animals “a clean bill of health” a week before they were taken from his residence and he was trying to clean up from a recent rainfall when law enforcement arrived.
