Arizona – Animal Cruelty / Animal Abuse Laws

Posted on January 27, 2012 by: WayCoolDogs

Arizona’s anti-cruelty laws states that a person commits an act of animal cruelty or animal abuse ” if they intentionally, knowingly or recklessly to cruel neglect or abandonment, refuses to provide necessary medical attention, inflicts unnecessary physical injury, or recklessly subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment.

Arizona defines animal as a mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian — either dead or alive. All animals are included that can be domesticated. Excluded are hunting and agricultural activities in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations.

Horse-tripping and bestiality are also prohibited:

1. Bestiality is a class 6 felony; a class 3 felony if the perpetrator is under 15 years of age.

2. Horse-tripping involves a person who knowingly or intentionally trips an equine for entertainment or sport is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. This involves a horse, pony, mule, donkey or hinny. “Trips” means knowingly or intentionally causing an equine to lose its balance or fall by use of a wire, pole, stick or rope or any other object or by any other means.

Cockfights are common from India to Arizona (via Wikipedia)

Dog and cockfighting laws make attendance to dogfights a felony while attending a cockfight is only a misdemeanor. As of December 2012, to cruelly confine a pregnant pig or veal calf will be forbidden.

Exclusions include hunting and agricultural activities in accordance with those laws and regulations. The dog-and cockfighting laws make it a felony to attend a dogfight is a felony, whereas attendance at a cockfight is only a misdemeanor.

Beginning in December 2012, cruelly confining a pregnant pig or veal calf will be forbidden.

13-2910. Cruelty to animals; interference with working or service animal; classification; definitions

Located at the Michigan University College of Law is the largest electronic collection of US and non-US animal laws and cases in the United States. It houses dog laws and cases of every state, and is worth checking out.

Under the state of Arizona, it says, ” These Arizona statutes comprise the laws relating to dogs and animal bites. Included are provisions related to registration, collaring, and vaccination of dogs. With regard to dangerous dogs, Arizona law provides that a person with knowledge of a dog’s vicious propensity must also keep the dog in an enclosed yard or confined area with a sign indicating the dog’s vicious tendencies.”

Felony vs. misdemeanor

Animal abuse is as simple as skinning wild animals for their fur, a commonplace activity for fur hunters in Arizona. (via Wikipedia)

Arizona does have felonies on the books for animal abuse, but it is only one year maximum and a $1,000 fine, with counseling required. They don’t have are temporary or permanent bans on animal ownership as part of the sentencing. They also do not have pet protective orders, so their state law does not include animals in protective orders. It is one of the more lenient states for animal abuse.

Animals raised in fur farms for their pelts have very short lives. (via Wikipedia)

Where does your stand stand with felony and misdemeanor laws for dog or animal abuse? HSUS has a central location for Animal Cruelty Laws at the Citizen Lobbyist Center so you can check out your own state, or checking on your city or town ordinances.

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