What is animal cruelty? And what does the Florida status say?
Full Question:
What is animal cruelty? And what does the Florida status say?
08/22/2007 |
Category: Animals |
State: Florida |
#8128
Answer:
The following are some of the related FL statutes:
828.02 Definitions.
--In this chapter, and in every law of the state relating to or in any way affecting animals, the word "animal" shall be held to include every living dumb creature; the words "torture," "torment," and "cruelty" shall be held to include every act, omission, or neglect whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused, except when done in the interest of medical science, permitted, or allowed to continue when there is reasonable remedy or relief; and the words "owner" and "person" shall be held to include corporations, and the knowledge and acts of agents and employees of corporations in regard to animals transported, owned, employed by or in the custody of a corporation, shall be held to be the knowledge and act of such corporation.
History.--s. 10, ch. 4971, 1901; GS 3156; RGS 4982; CGL 7071; s. 2, ch. 86-179.
828.12 Cruelty to animals.--
(1) A person who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily mutilates, or kills any animal, or causes the same to be done, or carries in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
(2) A person who intentionally commits an act to any animal which results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, or causes the same to be done, is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
(a) A person convicted of a violation of this subsection, where the finder of fact determines that the violation includes the knowing and intentional torture or torment of an animal that injures, mutilates, or kills the animal, shall be ordered to pay a minimum mandatory fine of $2,500 and undergo psychological counseling or complete an anger management treatment program.
(b) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this subsection shall be required to pay a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000 and serve a minimum mandatory period of incarceration of 6 months. In addition, the person shall be released only upon expiration of sentence, shall not be eligible for parole, control release, or any form of early release, and must serve 100 percent of the court-imposed sentence. Any plea of nolo contendere shall be considered a conviction for purposes of this subsection.
(3) A veterinarian licensed to practice in the state shall be held harmless from either criminal or civil liability for any decisions made or services rendered under the provisions of this section. Such a veterinarian is, therefore, under this subsection, immune from a lawsuit for his or her part in an investigation of cruelty to animals.
(4) A person who intentionally trips, fells, ropes, or lassos the legs of a horse by any means for the purpose of entertainment or sport shall be guilty of a third degree felony, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this subsection, "trip" means any act that consists of the use of any wire, pole, stick, rope, or other apparatus to cause a horse to fall or lose its balance, and "horse" means any animal of any registered breed of the genus Equus, or any recognized hybrid thereof. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply when tripping is used:
(a) To control a horse that is posing an immediate threat to other livestock or human beings;
(b) For the purpose of identifying ownership of the horse when its ownership is unknown; or
(c) For the purpose of administering veterinary care to the horse.
History.--s. 4, ch. 4971, 1901; GS 3395; RGS 5244; CGL 7363; s. 2, ch. 70-50; s. 4, ch. 71-12; s. 949, ch. 71-136; s. 1, ch. 82-116; s. 2, ch. 89-194; s. 5, ch. 94-339; s. 1286, ch. 97-102; s. 26, ch. 99-391; s. 35, ch. 2000-308; s. 1, ch. 2002-51.
828.13 Confinement of animals without sufficient food, water, or exercise; abandonment of animals.--
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Abandon" means to forsake an animal entirely or to neglect or refuse to provide or perform the legal obligations for care and support of an animal by its owner.
(b) "Owner" includes any owner, custodian, or other person in charge of an animal.
(2) Whoever:
(a) Impounds or confines any animal in any place and fails to supply the animal during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water,
(b) Keeps any animals in any enclosure without wholesome exercise and change of air, or
(c) Abandons to die any animal that is maimed, sick, infirm, or diseased, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both imprisonment and a fine.
(3) Any person who is the owner or possessor, or has charge or custody, of any animal who abandons such animal to suffer injury or malnutrition or abandons any animal in a street, road, or public place without providing for the care, sustenance, protection, and shelter of such animal is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both imprisonment and a fine.
History.--ss. 2, 4, ch. 3921, 1889; RS 2510; GS 3396; RGS 5245; CGL 7364; s. 950, ch. 71-136; s. 1, ch. 81-17; s. 3, ch. 82-116; s. 203, ch. 91-224.
828.122 Fighting or baiting animals; offenses; penalties.--
(1) This act may be cited as "The Animal Fighting Act."
(2) As used in this section, the term:
(a) "Animal fighting" means fighting between roosters or other birds or between dogs, bears, or other animals.
(b) "Baiting" means to attack with violence, to provoke, or to harass an animal with one or more animals for the purpose of training an animal for, or to cause an animal to engage in, fights with or among other animals. In addition, "baiting" means the use of live animals in the training of racing greyhounds.
(c) "Person" means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or corporation.
(3) Any person who knowingly commits any of the following acts commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084:
(a) Baiting, breeding, training, transporting, selling, owning, possessing, or using any wild or domestic animal for the purpose of animal fighting or baiting;
(b) Owning, possessing, or selling equipment for use in any activity described in paragraph (a);
(c) Owning, leasing, managing, operating, or having control of any property kept or used for any activity described in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b);
(d) Promoting, staging, advertising, or charging any admission fee to a fight or baiting between two or more animals;
(e) Performing any service or act to facilitate animal fighting or baiting, including, but not limited to, providing security, refereeing, or handling or transporting animals or being a stakeholder of any money wagered on animal fighting or baiting;
(f) Removing or facilitating the removal of any animal impounded under this section from an agency where the animal is impounded or from a location designated by the court under subsection (4), subsection (5), or subsection (7), without the prior authorization of the court;
(g) Betting or wagering any money or other valuable consideration on the fighting or baiting of animals; or
(h) Attending the fighting or baiting of animals.
Notwithstanding any provision of this subsection to the contrary, possession of the animal alone does not constitute a violation of this section.
(4) If a court finds probable cause to believe that a violation of this section or s. 828.12 has occurred, the court shall order the seizure of any animals and equipment used in committing the violation and shall provide for appropriate and humane care or disposition of the animals. This subsection is not a limitation on the power to seize animals as evidence at the time of arrest.
(5) If an animal shelter or other location is unavailable, a court may order the animal to be impounded on the property of its owner or possessor and shall order such person to provide all necessary care for the animal and to allow regular inspections of the animal by a person designated by the court.
(6) If a veterinarian finds that an animal kept or used in violation of this section is suffering from an injury or a disease severe enough that it is not possible to humanely house and care for the animal pending completion of a hearing held under s. 828.073(2), final disposition of the criminal charges, or court-ordered forfeiture, the veterinarian may euthanize the animal as specified in s. 828.058. A veterinarian licensed to practice in this state shall be held harmless from criminal or civil liability for any decisions made or services rendered under this subsection.
(7) If an animal can be housed in a humane manner, the provisions of s. 828.073 shall apply. For the purpose of a hearing provided pursuant to s. 828.073(2), any animal baited, bred, trained, transported, sold, owned, possessed, or used for the purpose of animal fighting or baiting shall be considered mistreated.
(8) In addition to other penalties prescribed by law, the court may issue an order prohibiting a person who is convicted of a violation of this section from owning, possessing, keeping, harboring, or having custody or control over any animals within the species that are the subject of the conviction, or any animals kept for the purpose of fighting or baiting, for a period of time determined by the court.
(9) This section shall not apply to:
(a) Any person simulating a fight for the purpose of using the simulated fight as part of a motion picture which will be used on television or in a motion picture, provided s. 828.12 is not violated.
(b) Any person using animals to pursue or take wildlife or to participate in any hunting regulated or subject to being regulated by the rules and regulations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
(c) Any person using animals to work livestock for agricultural purposes.
(d) Any person violating s. 828.121.
(e) Any person using dogs to hunt wild hogs or to retrieve domestic hogs pursuant to customary hunting or agricultural practices.
(10) This section shall not prohibit, impede, or otherwise interfere with recognized animal husbandry and training techniques or practices not otherwise specifically prohibited by law.
History.--ss. 1, 2, ch. 76-59; s. 1, ch. 81-224; s. 2, ch. 82-116; s. 1, ch. 85-289; ss. 1, 3, ch. 86-179; s. 202, ch. 91-224; s. 7, ch. 93-13; s. 230, ch. 99-245; s. 2, ch. 2002-51; s. 1, ch. 2003-188.
