State
Alabama
§ 13A-11-14
Cruelty to animals
- Dogfighting § 3-129,
- Cockfighting §13A12-4
Alaska
§ 11.61.140 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Arizona
§ 13-2910 et seq.*
Cruelty to animals or
poultry
Classification Max. Fine
Max.
of crime
Imprisonment
Punishment
Class B
$1,000
Misdemeanor
6 months
Class A
$5,000
Misdemeanor
1 year
Class 1
$1,000
Misdemeanor
$150,000
Class 6
Felony
6 months
Intentionally interferes
with, kills or harms a
working
service animal without
either legal privilege
or consent of the
owner
Arkansas
§ 5-62-101 et seq.*
Class A
$1,000
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor $1,000
California
Penal § 597 et seq.**
General cruelty to
Felony
$20,000
animals
Cruelty to endangered
or protected animals,
Malicious or
intentional cruelty to
animals
Colorado
§ 18-9-201 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
- Colorado statutes
contain a second
offense provision
requiring a mandatory
sentence
Connecticut
§ 53-247 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Delaware
§ 11-1325 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Intentional or causes
severe injury
Class 1
$5,000
Misdemeanor
1 year
1 year
6 months
State prison or
1 year in
county jail
18 months
Defined in
statute
Class A
$1,000
2 years
Misdemeanor
Fine
3 years
Class F
determined
Felony
by the
court
District of Columbia
§ 22-801 et seq.**
General cruelty
- § 32-908 Authorizes
Defined in
the Washington
statute
Humane Society to
extend its operations to
the protection of
children from cruelty
and abuse
Florida
§ 828.12 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Intentional cruelty
$250
6 months
1st Degree $5,000
1 year
Misdemeanor
3rd Degree $10,000 5 years
Felony
Georgia
§ 16-12-4
Cruelty to animals
- Georgia statutes
Misdemeanor $1,000
contain a second
offense provision, a
violation is a
Misdemeanor in the
First Degree
- Dogfighting § 16-1237, Cockfighting
regulated by general
cruelty and general
gambling, according to
case law
- Cruelty specific to
dogs § 4-8-5
Hawaii
§ 711-1109 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor $2,000
Misdemeanor $5,000
Idaho
§ 25-3501 et seq.**
for 1st
Committing cruelty to 2nd offense offense
animals
3rd offense $7,000
1 year
1 year
6 months
9 months
1 year
$9,000
Illinois
§ 510 ILCS 70/1 et
seq.**
.301
Cruel treatment
Aggravated Cruelty
- Illinois statutes
contain second and
third offense
provisions, a second
offense is a Class B
Misdemeanor and a
third offense is a Class
Class C
$500
Misdemeanor
$1,000
Class A
Misdemeanor
30 days
1 year
C Misdemeanor
Indiana
§ 35-46-3-1 et seq.**
Torturing or killing
vertebrateanimal
Abandonment or
neglect of vertebrate
animals
Iowa
§ 717B et seq.**
Animal abuse
Animal neglect
- negligently
Animal neglect
- intentionally
Abandonment of a cat
or dog
Kansas
§ 21-4310 et seq.*
Cruelty to animals
Kentucky
§ 525.125 et seq.*
Cruelty to animals in
the second degreee
Louisiana
§ 14:102 et seq.*
Simple cruelty to
animals or
abandonment
Aggravated cruelty to
animals
- § 14-2 defines any
sentence containing
"hard labor"
Maine
17 § 1031 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Class A
$5,000
Misdemeanor
$1,000
Class B
Misdemeanor
1 year
Aggravated $5,000
Misdemeanor
Simple
$100
Misdemeanor
2 years
Serious
$1,500
Misdemeanor
1 year
Simple
$100
Misdemeanor
30 days
Class B
$1,000
Nonperson
Misdemeanor
6 months
Class A
$500
Misdemeanor
1 year
Defined in
statute
6 months
$1,000
180 days
30 days
$25,000 10 years
Defined in
statute
Class D Crime
Cruelty to birds
Class E Crime
- Maine has both criminal
and civil statutes
concerninganimal cruelty
- the penalty for civil
violation (7 § 4011) is a
fine of up to $1,000 and
$2,000 1 year
$1,000 6 months
other relief to
the animal as needed
Maryland
Art. 27, § 59 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor
$1,000 90 days
Intentional mutilation or Misdemeanor
cruel killing
$5,000 3 years
Abandonment
Injuring of a race horse
Massachusetts
272 § 77 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor
Felony
$100
Defined in
statute
$1,000 1 year
Malicious killing or
injury (266 § 122) - 24 § Defined in
1 defines a crime
statute
punishable by death or
imprisonment in the state
prison as a felony.
All other crimes are
misdemeanors
Michigan
§ 28.245 et seq.**
General cruelty to
Misdemeanor
animals
Malicious cruelty to
animals
Minnesota
§ 343.20 et seq.**
Poisoning animals
3 years
$1,000 1 year in
jail or 5
years in
state
penitentiary
$1,000 93 days
Felony
$5,000 4 years
Gross
Misdemeanor
$3,000 1 year
$700
90 days
$100
100 days
Misdemeanor
Overworking or
mistreating animals,
Cruelty in transportation
- Minnesota statutes
contain a second and
subsequent offense
provision, a violation is a
Gross Misdemeanor
- § 346.37 subd. 6
requires veterinarians to
report cruelty
Misdemeanor
Mississippi
§ 97-41-1 et seq.**
Living creatures not to be
cruelly treated, Carrying Felony
creature in a cruel
manner, Confining
creatures without food or
Misdemeanor
water, Failure of owner to
provide sustenance
Defined in
statute
Malicious or mischievous
$10,000 5 years
$1,000 6 months
$500
3 years in
State
injury to livestock
Malicious or mischievous
injury to dog
Poisons: administering to
animals
Class C
$300
15 days
Missouri
§ 578.005 et seq.**
Misdemeanor
Animal neglect
(All fines and
$1,000 1 year
penalties for first
conviction
Animal abuse
$5,000 5 years
of animalneglect
may be waived if
Animal abuse as a result
of torture and mutilation remedies for
neglect have
- Missouri statutes
been made)
contain second and
subsequent offense
Class A
provisions
Misdemeanor
for animal neglect, a
violation is a Class B
Misdemeanor
Class D Felony
Defined in
$500
6 months
Montana
§ 45-8-209**
statute
Cruelty to animals
$50,000 10 years
Defined in
Injure or kill a commonly statute
domesticated
hoofed animal
- Montana statutes
contain a second and
subsequent offense
provisions, a violation is
punishable by a fine not
to exceed $1,000 or a
state prison term not to
exceed 2 years, or both
Nebraska
§ 28-1008 et seq.**
Class II
$1,000 6 months
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor
- Nebraska statutes
contain a subsequent
offense provision, a
violation is a Class I
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
$1,000 6 months
Nevada
§ 574.050 et seq.**
Overdriving, torturing,
selling diseased animal, Gross
$2,000 1 year
injuring or abandoning
Misdemeanor
animals; failure to
$10,000 5 years
provide proper
Class C Felony
sustenance,
keeping animal in
unhealthy place
Poisoning, noxious drug,
or substance
Poisoning horse, mule,
orcattle
New Hampshire
§ 644:8 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Cruelly whips, tortures or
mutilates any animal
- New Hampshire statutes
contain a second and
subsequent offense
provision for general
cruelty, a violation is a Class
B Felony
New Jersey
§ 4:22-15 et seq.**
Cruelty in general, overdrive
torture, mutilate, kill, failure
to provide proper sustenance
- New Jersey statutes
provide for civil remedies
also
New Mexico
§ 30-18-1 et seq.*
Cruelty to animals
Injury to animals
Malicious slaughter of a
canine
New York
AG&M § 350 et seq.**
General cruelty
North Carolina
§ 14-360 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Abandonment
- Civil relief provided in §
19A-1
North Dakota
§ 36-21.1-01 et seq.**
Overworking or mistreating
animals
Ohio
§ 959.01 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Abandoning animals
Injuring animals
- value of animal less than
$300
- value of animal more than
Misdemeanor $2,000
1 year
Class B
Felony
$6,000
6 years
Disorderly
Person
$1,000
6 months
Petty
$500
Misdemeanor
$1,000
Misdemeanor
$2,500
Misdemeanor
6 months
Misdemeanor $1,000
1 year
Class 1
$1,500
Misdemeanor
$1,000
Class 2
Misdemeanor
2 years
Class A
$1,000
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor $750
in the 2nd
degree
$100
Minor
Misdemeanor
$750
$1,000
Misdemeanor
in the 2nd
$250
degree
Misdemeanor
1 year
1 year
2 years
1 year
90 days
90 days
6 months
30 days
$300
in the 4th
degree
Poisoning animals
- Officer or agent of Ohio
Humane Society may
remove a child if deemed to
be in cruel surroundings
Oklahoma
21 § 1680 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Defined in
statute
$500
$500
Transit, abandon, poison
Misdemeanor
- 21 § 5 defines a felony as a
crime which is, or may be,
punishable with death, or by
imprisonment in the State
Penitentiary
Oregon
§ 167.310 et seq.**
Animal abuse in the first
Class A
$5,000
degree
Misdemeanor
$2,000
Animal abuse in the second Class B
degree
Misdemeanor $5,000
Animal neglect in the first
degree
Class A
$2,000
Misdemeanor
Animal neglect in the
second degree
Class B
Misdemeanor
Animal abandonment
Class C
Misdemeanor
$1,000
5 years in
penitentiary
or 1 year in
jail
1 year
1 year
6 months
1 year
6 months
30 days
$100,000 5 years
Aggravated animal abuse in
the first degree
Class C
Felony
Summary
$750
90 days
Pennsylvania
18 § 5511**
Offense
Cruelty to animals
$1,000 2 years
Second
Killing, maiming or
Degree
poisoning a
Misdemeanor $15,000 7 years
domestic animal
Third degree
Killing, maiming,
Felony
disfiguring a zoo animal Pennsylvania statutes
contain a subsequent offense
provision for killing,
maiming or poisoning, a
violation is a Third degree
Felony
Rhode Island
§ 4-1-1 et seq.**
Overwork of, mistreatment
of, or failure to feed
animals, abandonment of
infirm animals
Misdemeanor $500
11 months
Misdemeanor $500
11 months
Defined in
statute
2 years
$1,000
Unnecessary cruelty
Malicious injury or killing
of animals
Class A 1st $400
60 days
South Carolina
§ 47-1-10 et seq.
offense
Ill-treatment of
$500
60 days
animals,animal neglect Class B
Misdemeanor $5,000
2 years
Abandonment of
animals
Misdemeanor Discretion 10 years
of the
Tortures, torments,
Misdemeanor court
needlessly mutilates, to Felony
cruelly kills or inflicts
excessive or repeated
unnecessary pain
Malicious injury to
animals and other
personal property
Felony
- Animal fighting §
47-3-740, § 16-27-10
et seq.
- South Carolina
statutes contain second
and third offense
provisions for ill
treatment, penalties for
violations range up to 2
years in jail and $2,000
fine
Class 1
$1,000
South Dakota
§ 40-1-1 et seq.**
Misdemeanor
Inhumane treatment,
poison an animal
Class A
$2,500
Tennessee
§ 39-14-201 et seq.** Misdemeanor
Cruelty to animals
Considered $2500 to
Intentional killing
theft (ranges $300,000
of animal
from Class A
Misdemeanor
to Class B
Felony)
Texas
Penal § 42.09**
Class A
$4,000
Cruelty to animals
Misdemeanor
Also provide civil
remedies Title 7,
1 year
11 months,
29 days
11 months
to 12 years
1 year
Article 182
Utah
§ 76-9-301 et seq.**
Intentionally or
knowingly kills,
poisons or tortures
Recklessly kills,
poisons or tortures
Kills, poisons or
tortures with crimjnal
negligence
Intentionally or
knowingly fails to
provide food, water
shelter;
abandons animal;
transports or confines
in a cruel manner;
injures animal
Class A
$2,500
Misdemeanor
1 year
$1,000
Class B
Misdeamoner $750
6 months
Class C
Misdemeanor $1,000
Class B
$750
Misdemeanor
90 days
6 months
90 days
Class C
Misdemeanor
Recklessly or with
Class C to B
criminal negligence as Class B to A
above
A prior conviction
allows for increased
penalties
Vermont
13 § 351 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Cruelty to poultry
Virginia
§ 3.1-796.122 **
Cruelty to animals
Abandonment
Washington
§ 16.52.011 et seq.**
Animal cruelty in the
first degree
Animal cruelty in the
second degree
Poisoning animals
Defined in
statute
$2,000
1 year
$250
subsequent
offense
provision
12 months
Class 1
$2,500
Misdemeanor
Class 3
$500
Misdemeanor
Class C
$10,000
Felony
$1,000
Misdemeanor
$1,000
Gross
Misdemeanor
none
5 years
90 days
2 years
probation
West Virginia
§ 61-8-19 et seq.**
Cruelty to animals
Malicious killing of
animals by poison or
otherwise
- value of animal over
$100
- value
of animal under $100
- West Virginia
statutes contain second
and subsequent offense
provisions, a violation
is a Misdemeanor and
requires the defendant
to undergo
psychological
evaluation
- § 7-10-4A requires
veterinarians to report
cruelty and neglect
Wisconsin
§ 951.01 et seq.**
Mistreating animals,
Not providing proper
shelter, Animals
neglected or
abandoned
Misdemeanor $1,000
6 months
Felony
$500
Misdemeanor
3 months
Class C
$500 to
Forfeiture to $10,000
Class A
Misdemeanor
$10,000
Class E
Felony
None to 9
months
Misdemeanor $750
6 months
Misdemeanor $1,000
1 year
2 years
Intentional cruelty
resulting in mutilation,
disfigurement or death
Wyoming
§ 6-3-203, § 11-31104**
Cruelty to animals
Poisoning or killing
with ground glass
- Wyoming statutes
contain a second
offense provision, a
violation is a High
Misdemeanor