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Horse Slaughter
Horse Transportation
Horse Rescue
Horse Cruelty
Legislation
Horse Statutes
Stolen Horses

Federal Laws, State Statutes, USDA & State Regulations


Federal Laws


1996 Commercial Transportation Of Horses To Slaughter Act

December 7, 2001
Final Rule Commercial Transportation of Horses to Slaughter Act


American Horse Council, American Horse Protection Association, & Humane Society of US

propose to legalize every inhumane practice identified in the transport of horses to slaughter & put the very people identified as the abusers, the "killer buyers" in charge of the horses!

Proposed Regulations For the 1996 Commercial Transportation of Horses To Slaughter Act


Federal Horsemeat Laws


USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS

Approval of Livestock Facilities;
Interstate Movement of EIA Reactors


USDA Food Safety Inspection Service, FSIS, Regulations

Biological Residues in Horses;
Slaughter of Foaling Mares;
Slaughter of Sick Horses;


USDA APHIS Humane Slaughter Act

State Horsemeat Laws


CA's Proposition 6,

The PROHIBITION of Horse Slaughter and Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption Act Of 1998, Does Not Violate The Commerce Clause
IL Horsemeat Act

Texas Law

Sale of Horsemeat for Human Consumption

Prohibits Sale of Horsemeat For Human Consumption

Texas Attorney General Cornyn States TX Law

Prohibiting Sale of Horsemeat Applies to the 2 Texas Horse Slaughterhouses!

 


State Statutes


State Statutes Dead Animals
State Statutes Horse Transport Laws
State Statutes Police Animals
State Statutes Selling Lame, Disabled, or Debilitated Horses

 


State Horse Transportation Laws

Double deck trailer awaits loading of horses at New Holland Sales Stables June 24, 2000.
 Horses inside double deck cattle trailer stopped by the NYSP. The owner was later convicted & fined $3000.00.
Horses inside double deck cattle trailer stopped by the NYSP. The owner was later convicted & fined $3000.00.

Links to State Statutes


U.S. Anti-Cruelty Statutes
Michigan State University College of Law: Animal Legal & Historical Web Center

PA Statutes & Regulations


PA Domestic Animal Act

Licensing of Dealers & Haulers

EIA Regulations, Coggins Test


PA Dead Animal Act

Requirements for Removal of Dead Animals

PA Animal Markets

General Provisions
Records
Transactions From Trucks



lactating chestnut Arab type mare stands in filth in the classic foundered stance.

 

Links

California Voters "Just Say Neigh" to Horse Slaughter!
HoofPAC

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HoofPAC Political Action Committee

HoofPAC is the political action committee that has been formed to end the slaughter of America's horses. Cathleen Doyle, founder of HoofPAC, led the successful Save The Horses campaign in 1998 that made the slaughter of California's horses a felony.


Page last revised on:

1 November, 2007

The Sad Eyed Arab...Too Bad Nobody Took Him Home...


Fund the Fight, Find A Cure

Equine Protection Network Horse Slaughter Awareness Campaign

State Statutes Police Horses

Brigadier killed in the line of duty

This page of our website has statutes regarding police horses and is dedicated to the memory of Brigadier. Brigadier a member of the Toronto Police Services was killed in the line of duty on February 24, 2006.

Our heart goes out to the loved ones and friends of Brigadier, the Toronto Police Service horse who was brutally run down and killed in the line of duty on February 24, 2006. We hope those working to change/create laws to protect Police Animals in Canada are successful.

Please visit Anne's Blog with beautiful photos and tributes to Brigadier:

In Memory of Brigadier

1997-2006

"Dirk Sankersingh quietly pled out on January 15, 2007, & received a 2-year "conditional sentence", i.e. house arrest. What a travesty. We should all be outraged."


Getting Involved

  • Learn your state's laws.
  • What horse organizations in your state represent the horses industry in the state legislature?
  • Do they represent you on horse welfare issues? Many state horse councils are in favor of horse slaughter and do not take a strong stand on the enforcement of anti-cruelty laws as they apply to horses.
  • If the horse industry organizations in your state do not represent your views on horse slaughter and horse welfare, write to your state representatives and let them know that these organizations do NOT represent you, a member of the horse industry, on this issue.
  • Inform the horse organizations that you are a member of that you are opposed to the use of double cattle trailers to transport horses & opposed to the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Reading a Statute

  • Look for the Definitions - This section will tell you what animals are covered under the statute and define certain terms.

  • Look for Penalties- This section tells you what the penalty is for a person convicted of the offense. It also tells you whether or not the penalties are Civil or Criminal. Criminal penalties can be enforced by police departments. Civil Penalties do not allow for imprisonment. Usually the penalty involves monetary damages.

  • Look for Authority- This section will tell you what law enforcement agency or agencies have jurisdiction. In other words, who can enforce the law.

    Look for Sections - The sections will describe the act(s) which are illegal.

Resources for State Laws Regarding Horses

Michigan State University College of Law: Animal Legal & Historical Web Center

Horse Statutes

This site is an excellent resource for statutes and cases regarding all animals.


 

State Statute

California

Penal Code 600

(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal justification strikes beats, kicks, cuts, stabs, shoots with a firearm, administers any poison or other harmful or stupefying substance to, or throws, hurls, or projects at, or places any rock, object, or other substance which is used in a manner as to be capable of producing injury and likely to produce injury, on or in the path of, any horse being used by, or any dog under the supervision of, any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties, is guilty of a public offense. If the injury inflicted is a serious injury, as defined in subdivision (c), the person shall be punished by impreisonment in the state prison for 16 months, two or three years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment. If the injury inflicted is not a serious injury, the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand $(1000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment.

(b) Any person who wilfully and maliciously and with no legal justification interferes with or obstructs any horse or dog being used by any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties by frightening, teasing, agitating, harassing, or hindering the horse or dog shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand ($1000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment.

(c) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with intent to inflict such injury or death, personally causes the death, destruction, or serious physical injury including bone fracture, loss or impairment of function of any bodily member, wounds requiring extensive suturing, or serious crippling, of any horse or dog, shall, upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for one year.

(d) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with the intent to inflict such injury, personally causes great bodily injury, as defined in Section 12022.7, to any person not an accomplice, shall upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for two years unless the conduct described in this subdivision is an element of any other offense of which the person is convicted or receives an enhancement under Section 12002.7.

(e) In any case in which a defendant is convicted of a violation of this section, the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution to the agency owning the animal and employing the peace officer for any veterinary bills, replacement costs of the animal if it is disabled or killed, and the salary of the peace officer for the period of time his or her services are lost to the agency.

Leg.H. 1984 ch. 443. effective July 12, 1984, 1985 chs. 106, 765.

1984 Note: the Legislature inserted a cross-reference to Penal Code Section 12002.7 in subdivision (d) by Stats. 1984 ch. 443. However, the cross-reference is to a section that does not exist.


 

Connectiticut

§ 53-247. Cruelty to animals. Fighting animals. Intentional killing of police animals or dogs in volunteer canine search and rescue teams

(e) Any person who intentionally kills any animal while such animal is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of a peace officer, as defined in section 53a-3, or intentionally kills a dog that is a member of a volunteer canine search and rescue team, as defined in section 5-249, while such dog is in the performance of its duties under the supervision of the active individual member of such team, shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ten years or both.


Indiana

35-43-1-2 Mischief

A person who: Recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally damages or defaces property of another person without the other person's consent; or Knowingly or intentionally causes another to suffer pecuniary loss by deception or by an expression of intention to injure another person or to damage the property or yo impair the rights of another person; commits criminal mischief a class B misdemeanor. However the offense is: (B) a class D felony if (v) the damage is to a law enforcement animal as defined in 35-46-3-4.5. ( 1 1/2 years/$10,000 + or -) We also have 35-46-3-11. Striking, Interfering with a law enforcement animal. This is a class A Misdemeanor (1 year/$5,000 + or -)


Massachusetts General Law

MGL 272 Sec 77A: Willfully injuring police dogs and horses

Whoever willfully tortures, torments, beats, kicks, strikes, mutilates, injures, disables, or otherwise mistreats, a dog or horse owned by a police department or police agency of the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions or whoever, willfully by any action whatsoever, interferes with the lawful performance of such dog or horse shall be punished by a fine of not less then one hundred dollars and not more than five hundred dollars or by inprisonment for not more than two and one-half years or both. Persons violating this section may be arrested without a warrant by any officer qualified to serve criminal process provided said offense is committed in his presence. (simple misdemeanor)


Nebraska

28-1009 Abandonment; cruelty; harassment of a police animal; penalty.

(3) A person commits harassment of a police animal if he or she knowingly and intentionally teases or harasses a police animal in order to distract, agitate, or harm the police animal for the purpose of preventing such animal from performing its legitimate official duties. Harassment of a police animal is a Class IV misdemeanor unless the harassment is the proximate cause of the death of the police animal, in which case it is a Class IV felony.


Nevada

574.105. Mistreatment of police animal and interference with duties of police animal or handler unlawful; penalty; exception
1. A person shall not willfully and maliciously:
(a) Taunt, torment, tease, beat, strike or administer a desensitizing drug, chemical or substance to a police animal;
(b) Interfere with a police animal or a handler thereof in the performance of duties assigned to the police animal or handler; or
(c) Torture, mutilate, injure, poison, disable or kill a police animal.

2. A person who violates:
(a) Paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection 1 is guilty of a category D felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130.
(b) Paragraph (c) of subsection 1 is guilty of:
(1) If the police animal is not totally disabled or killed, a  category D felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130, and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000.
(2) If the police animal is totally disabled or killed, a category C felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130. In addition to the punishment imposed pursuant to this subparagraph, the court may require a person who is punished pursuant to this subparagraph to pay restitution to the agency that owns the police animal, including, without limitation, payment for veterinary services and the cost of replacing the police animal.

3. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a euthanasia technician licensed pursuant to chapter 638 of NRS, a peace officer or a veterinarian from euthanizing a police animal in an emergency if the police animal is critically wounded and would otherwise endure undue suffering and pain.



New Jersey

2C:29-3.1. Animal owned, used by law enforcement agency, infliction of harm upon, interference with officer, degree of crime, penalties:

1.Any person who purposely kills a dog, horse or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree. Any person who purposely maims or otherwise inflicts harm upon a dog, horse or other animal owned or used by a law enforcement agency shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. Any person who interferes with any law enforcement officer using an animal in the performance of his official duties commits a disorderly persons offense, subject to a sentence of six months' imprisonment, some or all of which may be community service, restitution and a $1,000.00 fine.

L.1983,c.261,s.1; amended 1999, c.14.


Ohio Revised Code 2921.32.1.

No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a police dog or horse in either of the following,if the dog or horse is assisting a police officer in doing his official duties or the dog or horse is not assisting the officer but the offender has actual knowledge that the dog/horse is a police dog or police horse. This statute also covers handicapped assistance dogs. A violation of this statute where death results it is a Felony of the 4th degree( 6 months to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine ). Serious physical harm to the dog/horse it's a Felony of the 5th degree (6 months to 12 months and $2,500 fine ). Physical harm is a Misdemeanor of the 1st degree ( no time to 6 months & $1,000 fine). If no harm is involved it is a Misd of the 2nd degree ( no time to 90 days & $750 fine )

9.62 Purchase of police dog or horse.

(A) As used in this section:

(1) “Police dog or horse” means a dog or horse that has been trained, and may be used, to assist law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.

(2) “Law enforcement agency” means an organization or unit made up of law enforcement officers as defined in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) Upon the disbanding of the canine or equine unit of a law enforcement agency, the agency shall give the law enforcement officer to whom a police dog or horse is assigned the first chance to purchase the animal, for one dollar. An officer who purchases an animal under this section shall assume all responsibility for the animal thereafter.

(C) If a police dog or horse is injured in the line of duty, becomes disabled and is unfit for duty, or grows too old to be fit for duty, the law enforcement officer to whom the animal is assigned may purchase the animal, for one dollar. If an officer chooses not to purchase an animal as authorized by this division or division (B) of this section, the disposition of the animal shall be as otherwise provided by law.

(D) A law enforcement officer who leaves an equine or canine unit of a law enforcement agency while the police dog or horse assigned to the officer is still fit for duty forfeits the right to purchase the animal under this section.

Effective Date: 06-01-1998

 


Oregon

ORS 164.369
Interfering with Police Animal.

(1) A person commits the crime of interfering with a police animal if the person intentionally or knowingly injures or attempts to injure an animal the person knows or should reasonalbly know is a police animal while the police animal is being used in the lawful discharge of its duty.

(2) Interference with a police animal is a class A misdemeanor.
 
ORS 164.365 Criminal Mischief I

(1) A person commits the crime criminal mischief in the first degree who, with the intent to damage property, and having now right to do so nor reasonable ground to believe that the person has such a right:(a) Damages or destroys property of another:

(F) Which is a police animal and the police animal suffers death or serious physical injury;( there are several other sub paragraphs that are included in this statute but this is the one that is applicable to police animals).

(3) Criminal mischief in the first degree is a class C felony.


Rhode Island

4-1-30. Cruelty to police animals. --

Any person who willfully tortures, torments, beats, kicks, strikes, mutilates, injures, disables, or otherwise mistreats any dog or horse owned by a police department of this state or any of its political subdivisions or who willfully by any action interferes with the lawful performance of a police dog or horse shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

History of Section.

P.L. 1980, ch. 185, § 1.


Utah

76-9-306. Police service animals -- Causing injury or interfering with handler --

Penalties. (1) As used in this section:

(a) "Handler" means a law enforcement officer who is specially trained, and uses a police service animal during the course of the performance of his law enforcement duties.

(b) "Police service animal" means any dog or horse used by a law enforcement agency, which is specially trained for law enforcement work, or any animal contracted to assist a law enforcement agency in the performance of law enforcement duties.

(2) It is a class A misdemeanor for a person to intentionally:

(a) cause bodily injury or death to a police service animal;

(b) engage in such conduct likely to cause bodily injury or death to a police service animal;

(c) lay out, place, or administer any poison, trap, substance, or object which is likely to produce bodily injury or death to a police service animal; or

(d) offer or agree with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of an act which constitutes a violation of this statute.

(3) It is a class B misdemeanor for a person to intentionally or knowingly:

(a) taunt, torment, strike, or otherwise assault a police service animal;

(b) throw any object or substance at, or in the path of, a police service animal;

(c) interfere with or obstruct a police service animal, or attempt to, or interfere with the handler of the animal in such a manner as to inhibit, restrict, or deprive the handler of his control of the animal;

(d) release a police service animal from its area of control, such as a vehicle, kennel, or pen, or trespass in that area; or

(e) place any food, object, or substance into a police service animal's area of control without the permission of the handler.

(4) A police service animal is exempt from quarantine or other animal control ordinances if it bites any person while under proper police supervision or routine veterinary care. The law enforcement agency and the animal's handler shall make the animal available for examination at any reasonable time and shall notify the local health officer if the animal exhibits any abnormal behavior.

(5) In addition to any other penalty, a person convicted of a violation of this section is liable to the owning or employing law enforcement agency or individual owner of the police service animal for the replacement, training, and veterinary costs incurred as a result of the violation of this section.

Liability

18-1-1. Liability of owners -- Scienter -- Dogs used in law enforcement. Every person owning or keeping a dog shall be liable in damages for injury committed by such dog, and it shall not be necessary in any action brought therefor to allege or prove that such dog was of a vicious or mischievous disposition or that the owner or keeper thereof knew that it was vicious or mischievous; but neither the state nor any county, city, or town in the state nor any peace officer employed by any of them shall be liable in damages for injury committed by a dog when: (1) The dog has been trained to assist in law enforcement, and (2) the injury occurs while the dog is reasonably and carefully being used in the apprehension, arrest, or location of a suspected offender or in maintaining or controlling the public order.

 


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