Any person who shall willfully or maliciously torture, destroy or kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim or mutilate any animal in subjugation or captivity, whether wild or tame, and whether belonging to the person or to another, or deprive any such animal of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering; or who shall cause, procure or permit any such animal to be so tortured, destroyed or killed, or cruelly beaten or injured, maimed or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent suffering; or who shall willfully set on foot, instigate, engage in, or in any way further any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty, shall be guilty of a Class B5 felony offense and shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not exceeding five (5) years, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00). Any animal so maltreated or abused shall be considered an abused or neglected animal.

Historical Data

R.L. 1910, § 2746; Amended by Laws 1997, HB 1213, c. 133, § 384 (emerg. eff. date amended to July 1, 1999, by Laws 1998, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1002, c. 2, §§ 23-26, emerg. eff. June 19, 1998) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1009, c. 5, § 276, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2003, HB 1690, c. 363, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2003 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2006, HB 1672, c. 188, § 3, eff. November 1, 2006 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2025, HB 2104, c. 486, § 165, eff. January 1, 2026 (superseded document available).