Preventions

Animal cruelty laws

Every person who deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter ... or causes or procures any animal to be so ... deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter ... and whoever, having the charge or custody of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, subjects any animal to needless suffering, or inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuses any animal, or fails to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter or protection from the weather ... is for every such offense, guilty of a crime punishable as a misdemeanor or as a felony or alternatively punishable as a misdemeanor or a felony and by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
Any person who impounds, or causes to be impounded in any pound, any domestic animal, shall supply it during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water, and in default thereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor. In case any domestic animal is at any time so impounded and continues to be without necessary food and water for more than 12 consecutive hours, it is lawful for any person, from time to time, as may be deemed necessary, to enter into and upon any pound in which the animal is confined, and supply it with necessary food and water so long as it remains so confined. Such person is not liable for the entry and may collect the reasonable cost of the food and water from the owner of the animal, and the animal is subject to enforcement of a money judgment for the reasonable cost of such food and water.
It shall be unlawful for any person who operates a pet shop to fail to do all of the following:
(1) Maintain the facilities used for the keeping of pet animals in a sanitary condition.
(2) Provide proper heating and ventilation for the facilities used for the keeping of pet animals.
(3) Provide adequate nutrition for, and humane care and treatment of, all pet animals under his care and control.
(4) Take reasonable care to release for sale, trade, or adoption only those pet animals which are free of disease or injuries.
(5) Provide adequate space appropriate to the size, weight and species of pet animals.
(b) As used in this section:
(1) “Pet animals” means dogs, cats, monkeys, and other primates, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, snakes, iguanas, turtles, and any other species of animal sold or retained for the purpose of being kept as a household pet.
(2) “Pet shop” means every place or premises where pet animals are kept for the purpose of either wholesale or retail sale. “Pet shop” does not include any place or premises where pet animals are occasionally sold.
(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Every person who keeps an animal confined in an enclosed area shall provide it with an adequate exercise area. If the animal is restricted by a leash, rope, or chain, the leash, rope, or chain shall be affixed in such a manner that it will prevent the animal from becoming entangled or injured and permit the animal’s access to adequate shelter, food, and water. Violation of this section constitutes a misdemeanor.

To help prevent animal cruelty there are phone lines to report abuse. Please make a difference and call one today. Save the life and physical or emotional well-being of an animal. You can also go online and report offences such as poachers.