Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB249 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HB249INTRODUCED
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3	3	HB249
4	4	8A1XHHH-1
5	5	By Representatives Colvin, Stadthagen
6	6	RFD: Agriculture and Forestry
7	7	First Read: 11-Feb-25
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12	12	5 8A1XHHH-1 02/11/2025 ZAK (L)ZAK 2025-9
13	13	Page 1
14	14	First Read: 11-Feb-25
15	15	SYNOPSIS:
16	16	Under existing law, an individual commits the
17	17	crime of cruelty to a dog or cat when he or she takes
18	18	certain actions. The law also defines the term "cruel"
19	19	to include abandonment of a dog or cat for purposes of
20	20	committing this crime.
21	21	This bill would specifically prohibit the
22	22	abandonment of a dog or cat and provide a criminal
23	23	penalty for a violation.
24	24	This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
25	25	technical revisions to update the existing code
26	26	language to current style.
27	27	A BILL
28	28	TO BE ENTITLED
29	29	AN ACT
30	30	Relating to dogs and cats; to amend Sections 13A-11-240
31	31	and 13A-11-243, Code of Alabama 1975, to define the term
32	32	"abandon;" to provide for the enforcement of the crime of
33	33	abandonment of a dog or cat; to make nonsubstantive, technical
34	34	revisions to update the existing code language to current
35	35	style; to add Section 13A-11-241.1 to the Code of Alabama
36	36	1975, to prohibit a person from abandoning a dog or cat; and
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64	64	28 HB249 INTRODUCED
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66	66	1975, to prohibit a person from abandoning a dog or cat; and
67	67	to provide criminal penalties for violations .
68	68	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
69	69	Section 1. Sections 13A-11-240 and 13A-11-243, Code of
70	70	Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:
71	71	"§13A-11-240
72	72	(a) The word "torture" as used in this article shall
73	73	mean theact of doing physical injury to a dog or cat by the
74	74	infliction of inhumane treatment or gross physical abuse meant
75	75	to cause said animal intensive or prolonged pain or serious
76	76	physical injury, or thereby causing death due to said act.
77	77	(b) The word "cruel" as used in this article shall
78	78	mean:
79	79	For purposes of this article, the following terms have
80	80	the following meanings:
81	81	(1) ABANDON. To forsake entirely or leave a dog or cat
82	82	at a location without providing minimum reasonable care.
83	83	(2) CRUEL. Every act, omission, or neglect , including
84	84	abandonment, where unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or
85	85	suffering, including abandonment, is caused or where
86	86	unnecessary pain or suffering is allowed to continue.
87	87	(c) The words "dog or cat" as used in this article
88	88	shall mean any(3) DOG or CAT. Any domesticated member of the
89	89	dog or cat family.
90	90	(4) TORTURE. The act of doing physical injury to a dog
91	91	or cat by the infliction of inhumane treatment or gross
92	92	physical abuse that causes the dog or cat intensive or
93	93	prolonged pain or serious physical injury, or thereby causing
94	94	death."
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124	124	death."
125	125	"§13A-11-243
126	126	(a) Any law enforcement officer and any or agent of the
127	127	a county or the municipality appointed pursuant to Section
128	128	13A-11-242, having reasonable belief, evidence of, or having
129	129	found a dog or cat to be neglected or cruelly treated that has
130	130	a reasonable belief of, has evidence of, or observes a
131	131	violation of this article may perform do either of the
132	132	following:
133	133	(1) Remove the dog or cat from its present location.
134	134	(2) Order the owner of the dog or cat to provide
135	135	certain care to the dog or cat at the owner's expense without
136	136	the removal of the dog or cat from its present location.
137	137	(b) Neither the county or municipality, nor any
138	138	employee or agent of the county or municipality, acting in
139	139	good faith, shall be liable for any actions taken under this
140	140	section, regardless of whether or not the dog or cat is
141	141	returned to its owner after impoundment."
142	142	Section 2. Section 13A-11-241.1 is added to the Code of
143	143	Alabama 1975, to read as follows:
144	144	§13A-11-241.1
145	145	(a) A person commits the crime of abandonment of a dog
146	146	or cat if he or she, with criminal negligence, abandons a dog
147	147	or cat.
148	148	(b) Abandonment of a dog or cat is a Class A
149	149	misdemeanor.
150	150	Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
151	151	1, 2025.
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