Woman pleads not guilty in dog mauling

A judge set bail at $40,000 Wednesday for the owner of four dogs that mauled a 65-year-old Las Vegas woman and her neighbor last week.

Should Jesse Vonstaden, 29, post bail, she would be under house arrest and no dogs would be allowed inside her home, according to prosecutor Amy Ferreira.

Officers with Clark County Animal Control would have to check the home to make sure Vonstaden is in compliance with the order, Ferreira said.

Vonstaden’s lawyer, Todd Leventhal said the dogs were rescues and she never had trouble with them in the past.

“These dogs were not bred to fight,” Leventhal said. “They’re pit bulls, but they’ve never attacked anyone.”

Vonstaden pleaded not guilty to having dangerous or vicious dogs and willfully neglecting or disregarding the safety of people or property in connection with Friday’s mauling.

A woman and her 69-year-old neighbor, Robert Sisterman, were attacked Friday morning in the 900 block of Looking Glass Lane, near the intersection of Bonanza Road and Sloan Lane.

Leventhal said Vonstaden has a 7-year-old daughter who has been around the dogs since they were puppies and there has never been an issue.

Police said Vonstaden had at least two previous complaints about the dogs. She was cited in November for having more than three dogs without a permit and for not having the animals vaccinated or sterilized.

Sisterman tried to help his neighbor with a baseball bat and stones and was bitten himself.

Both were taken to University Medical Center. The woman had tears to her face and both arms. She also had a broken arm, a broken leg, about 100 stitches and significant loss of muscle in her right arm, according to police.

Sisterman was bitten on the right hand and came out with 20 stitches and a cast, his wife Janice Sisterman said.

The woman who was attacked was not identified by family or authorities.

Metro and Animal Control officers formed a human barrier between the animals and the woman, who was being treated by the fire department, police said. One of the dogs charged officers and was fatally shot. Clark County Animal Control took the other three.

Vonstaden arrived at her home shortly after the dog had been shot and killed and was arrested later that day.

Contact reporter David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker