76-9-301 - Cruelty to animals.
76-9-301. Cruelty to animals.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) (i) "Abandon" means to intentionally deposit, leave, or drop off any live animal:
(A) without providing for the care of that animal, in accordance with accepted animalhusbandry practices or customary farming practices; or
(B) in a situation where conditions present an immediate, direct, and serious threat to thelife, safety, or health of the animal.
(ii) "Abandon" does not include returning wildlife to its natural habitat.
(b) (i) "Animal" means, except as provided in Subsection (1)(b)(ii), a live, nonhumanvertebrate creature.
(ii) "Animal" does not include:
(A) a live, nonhuman vertebrate creature, if:
(I) the conduct toward the creature, and the care provided to the creature, is inaccordance with accepted animal husbandry practices; and
(II) the creature is:
(Aa) owned or kept by a zoological park that is accredited by, or a member of, theAmerican Zoo and Aquarium Association;
(Bb) kept, owned, or used for the purpose of training hunting dogs or raptors; or
(Cc) temporarily in the state as part of a circus or traveling exhibitor licensed by theUnited States Department of Agriculture under 7 U.S.C. 2133;
(B) a live, nonhuman vertebrate creature that is owned, kept, or used for rodeo purposes,if the conduct toward the creature, and the care provided to the creature, is in accordance withaccepted rodeo practices;
(C) livestock, if the conduct toward the creature, and the care provided to the creature, isin accordance with accepted animal husbandry practices or customary farming practices; or
(D) wildlife, as defined in Section 23-13-2, including protected and unprotected wildlife,if the conduct toward the wildlife is in accordance with lawful hunting, fishing, or trappingpractices or other lawful practices.
(c) "Companion animal" means an animal that is a domestic dog or a domestic cat.
(d) "Custody" means ownership, possession, or control over an animal.
(e) "Legal privilege" means an act that:
(i) is authorized by state law, including Division of Wildlife Resources rules; and
(ii) is not in violation of a local ordinance.
(f) "Livestock" means:
(i) domesticated:
(A) cattle;
(B) sheep;
(C) goats;
(D) turkeys;
(E) swine;
(F) equines;
(G) camelidae;
(H) ratites; or
(I) bison;
(ii) domesticated elk, as defined in Section 4-39-102; or
(iii) any domesticated nonhuman vertebrate creature, domestic furbearer, or domesticpoultry, raised, kept, or used for agricultural purposes.
(g) "Necessary food, water, care, or shelter" means the following, taking into account thespecies, age, and physical condition of the animal:
(i) appropriate and essential food and water;
(ii) adequate protection, including appropriate shelter, against extreme weatherconditions; and
(iii) other essential care.
(h) "Torture" means intentionally or knowingly causing or inflicting extreme physicalpain to an animal in an especially heinous, atrocious, cruel, or exceptionally depraved manner.
(2) Except as provided in Subsection (4) or (6), a person is guilty of cruelty to an animalif the person, without legal privilege to do so, intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or withcriminal negligence:
(a) fails to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal in the person'scustody;
(b) abandons an animal in the person's custody;
(c) injures an animal;
(d) causes any animal, not including a dog, to fight with another animal of like kind foramusement or gain; or
(e) causes any animal, including a dog, to fight with a different kind of animal or creaturefor amusement or gain.
(3) Except as provided in Section 76-9-301.7, a violation of Subsection (2) is:
(a) a class B misdemeanor if committed intentionally or knowingly; and
(b) a class C misdemeanor if committed recklessly or with criminal negligence.
(4) A person is guilty of aggravated cruelty to an animal if the person:
(a) tortures an animal;
(b) administers, or causes to be administered, poison or a poisonous substance to ananimal; or
(c) kills an animal or causes an animal to be killed without having a legal privilege to doso.
(5) Except as provided in Subsection (6) or Section 76-9-301.7, a violation of Subsection(4) is:
(a) a class A misdemeanor if committed intentionally or knowingly;
(b) a class B misdemeanor if committed recklessly; and
(c) a class C misdemeanor if committed with criminal negligence.
(6) A person is guilty of a third degree felony if the person intentionally or knowinglytortures a companion animal.
(7) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the conduct of the actor towardsthe animal was:
(a) by a licensed veterinarian using accepted veterinary practice;
(b) directly related to bona fide experimentation for scientific research, provided that ifthe animal is to be destroyed, the manner employed will not be unnecessarily cruel unless directlynecessary to the veterinary purpose or scientific research involved;
(c) permitted under Section 18-1-3;
(d) by a person who humanely destroys any animal found suffering past recovery for any
useful purpose; or
(e) by a person who humanely destroys any apparently abandoned animal found on theperson's property.
(8) For purposes of Subsection (7)(d), before destroying the suffering animal, the personwho is not the owner of the animal shall obtain:
(a) the judgment of a veterinarian of the animal's nonrecoverable condition;
(b) the judgment of two other persons called by the person to view the unrecoverablecondition of the animal in the person's presence;
(c) the consent from the owner of the animal to the destruction of the animal; or
(d) a reasonable conclusion that the animal's suffering is beyond recovery, through theperson's own observation, if the person is in a location or circumstance where the person isunable to contact another person.
(9) This section does not affect or prohibit:
(a) the training, instruction, and grooming of animals, if the methods used are inaccordance with accepted animal husbandry practices or customary farming practices;
(b) the use of an electronic locating or training collar by the owner of an animal for thepurpose of lawful animal training, lawful hunting practices, or protecting against loss of thatanimal; or
(c) the lawful hunting of, fishing for, or trapping of, wildlife.
(10) County and municipal governments may not prohibit the use of an electroniclocating or training collar.
(11) Upon conviction under this section, the court may in its discretion, in addition toother penalties:
(a) order the defendant to be evaluated to determine the need for psychiatric orpsychological counseling, to receive counseling as the court determines to be appropriate, and topay the costs of the evaluation and counseling;
(b) require the defendant to forfeit any rights the defendant has to the animal subjected toa violation of this section and to repay the reasonable costs incurred by any person or agency incaring for each animal subjected to violation of this section;
(c) order the defendant to no longer possess or retain custody of any animal, as specifiedby the court, during the period of the defendant's probation or parole or other period asdesignated by the court; and
(d) order the animal to be placed for the purpose of adoption or care in the custody of acounty and municipal animal control agency, an animal welfare agency registered with the state,sold at public auction, or humanely destroyed.
(12) This section does not prohibit the use of animals in lawful training.
(13) A veterinarian who, acting in good faith, reports a violation of this section to lawenforcement may not be held civilly liable for making the report.
Amended by Chapter 292, 2008 General Session