North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S573 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 573
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS35219-MH-58
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Reform Animal Cruelty and Neglect laws. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senator Murdock (Primary Sponsor).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 26, 2025~~
11		-	~~S573 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS35219 -MH-58
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO REFORM ANIMAL CRUELTY AND NEGLECT LAWS TO ADD 2
14	15		STANDARDS FOR ADEQUATE SPACE AND SHELTER AND TO ADDRESS 3
15	16		COMPANION ANIMAL HOARDING . 4
16	17		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
17	18		SECTION 1. G.S. 14-360 reads as rewritten: 6
18	19		"§ 14-360. Cruelty to animals; construction of section. 7
19	20		(a) If any person shall Persons who (i) intentionally overdrive, overload, wound, injure, 8
20	21		torment, kill, or kill an animal, or deprive any animal of necessary sustenance, adequate shelter, 9
21	22		or adequate space or (ii) cause or procure any animal to be overdriven, overloaded, wounded, 10
22	23		injured, tormented, killed, or deprived of necessary sustenance, any animal, every such offender 11
23	24		shall for every such offense be adequate shelter, or adequate space are guilty of a Class 1 12
24	25		misdemeanor.misdemeanor, with each act constituting a separate offense. If the convicted person 13
25	26		is a companion animal hoarder, the judge shall impose a requirement that the defendant obtain a 14
26	27		psychological evaluation and comply with any treatment recommended as a result of that 15
27	28		evaluation. 16
28	29		(a1) If any person shall Persons who maliciously kill, or cause or procure to be killed, any 17
29	30		animal by intentional deprivation of necessary sustenance, that person shall be sustenance are 18
30	31		guilty of a Class H felony. If the convicted person is a companion animal hoarder, the judge shall 19
31	32		impose a requirement that the defendant obtain a psychological evaluation and comply with any 20
32	33		treatment recommended as a result of that evaluation. 21
33	34		(b) If any person shall Persons who maliciously torture, mutilate, maim, cruelly beat, 22
34	35		disfigure, poison, or kill, or cause or procure to be tortured, mutilated, maimed, cruelly beaten, 23
35	36		disfigured, poisoned, or killed, any animal, every such offender shall for every such offense be 24
36	37		animal are guilty of a Class H felony. felony, with each act constituting a separate offense. 25
37	38		However, nothing in this section shall be construed to increase the penalty for cockfighting 26
38	39		provided for in G.S. 14-362. 27
39	40		(c) As used The following definitions apply in this section, the words"torture", "torment", 28
40	41		and "cruelly" include or refer to any act, omission, or neglect causing or permitting unjustifiable 29
41	42		pain, suffering, or death. As used in this section, the word "intentionally" refers to an section: 30
42	43		(1) Adequate shelter. – Shelter that meets all of the conditions of this subdivision. 31
43	44		Adequate shelter does not include the outdoor tethering of an animal during 32
44	45		any period of extreme weather at the site where the animal is tethered. 33
45	46		a. The shelter is suitable for the species, age, condition, size, and type of 34
46		-	each animal. 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 573-First Edition
	47	+	each animal. 35
	48	+	FILED SENATE
	49	+	Mar 25, 2025
	50	+	S.B. 573
	51	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRS35219-MH-58
48	53		b. The shelter protects each animal from injury, rain, sleet, snow, hail, 1
49	54		direct sunlight, the adverse effects of heat or cold, physical suffering, 2
50	55		and impairment of health. 3
51	56		c. The shelter is properly lighted and cleaned and enables each animal to 4
52	57		remain clean and dry, except when detrimental to the species. 5
53	58		d. The shelter is properly shaded and does not readily conduct heat during 6
54	59		periods when the ambient air temperature at the shelter is greater than 7
55	60		85 degrees Fahrenheit. 8
56	61		e. The shelter provides a windbreak at its entrance and, during periods 9
57	62		when the ambient air temperature at the shelter is less than 32 degrees 10
58	63		Fahrenheit, bedding material consisting of straw, cedar shavings, or 11
59	64		the equivalent sufficient to protect the animal from cold and promote 12
60	65		the retention of body heat. 13
61	66		f. For dogs and cats, the shelter provides a solid surface, resting platform, 14
62	67		pad, floormat, or similar device that is large enough for the animal to 15
63	68		lie on in a normal manner and can be maintained in a sanitary manner. 16
64	69		g. The shelter's wire, grid, or slat floors (i) do not permit the animals' feet 17
65	70		to pass through the openings, (ii) do not sag under the animals' weight, 18
66	71		and (iii) protect the animals' feet and toes from injury. 19
67	72		(2) Adequate space. – Sufficient space to allow each animal freedom of 20
68	73		movement. Adequate space for an animal that is tethered means all of the 21
69	74		following: 22
70	75		a. The tether to which the animal is attached permits freedom of 23
71	76		movement and is appropriate to the age and size of the animal; is 24
72	77		attached to the animal by a properly applied collar, halter, or harness 25
73	78		configured so as to protect the animal from injury and prevent the 26
74	79		animal or tether from becoming entangled with other objects or 27
75	80		animals or from extending over an object or edge that could result in 28
76	81		the strangulation or injury of the animal. 29
77	82		b. The tether is at least 15 feet in length or four times the length of the 30
78	83		animal, as measured from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, 31
79	84		whichever is greater, except when the animal is being walked on a 32
80	85		leash or is attached by a tether to a lead line; does not, by its material, 33
81	86		size, or weight or any other characteristic, cause injury or pain to the 34
82	87		animal. 35
83	88		c. The tether does not weigh more than one-tenth of the animal's body 36
84	89		weight and does not have weights or other heavy objects attached to 37
85	90		it. 38
86	91		d. Tethering does not include the walking of an animal on a leash. 39
87	92		(3) Animal. – Every living vertebrate in the classes Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and 40
88	93		Mammalia except human beings. 41
89	94		(4) Companion animal. – an animal that is commonly considered to be, or is 42
90	95		considered by the owner to be, a pet. The term includes, but is not limited to, 43
91	96		canines, felines, and equines. 44
92	97		(5) Companion animal hoarder. – A person who (i) possesses 10 or more 45
93	98		companion animals; (ii) fails to or is unable to provide what he or she is 46
94	99		required to provide under this section; (iii) displays an inability to recognize 47
95	100		or understand the nature of or has a reckless disregard for the conditions under 48
96	101		which the companion animals are living and the deleterious impact they have 49
97	102		on the companion animals' and owner's health and well-being. 50
98	103		(6) Extreme weather. – Any of the following: 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99		-	~~Senate Bill 573-First Edition~~ Page 3
	104	+	DRS35219-MH-58 Page 3
100	105		a. The effective period of a hurricane warning or tropical storm warning 1
101	106		issued for the area by the National Weather Service. 2
102	107		b. The effective period for a heat advisory issued by a local or State 3
103	108		authority. 4
104	109		c. Any period when the actual or effective outdoor temperature is above 5
105	110		85 degrees Fahrenheit or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. 6
106	111		d. The effective period for a severe weather warning issued for the area 7
107	112		by the National Weather Service, including a winter storm, tornado, or 8
108	113		severe thunderstorm warning. 9
109	114		(7) Freedom of movement. – With respect to an animal, means the animal can (i) 10
110	115		easily stand, sit, lie, turn around, and make all other normal body movements 11
111	116		in a comfortable, normal position for the animal and (ii) interact safely with 12
112	117		other animals in the same enclosure. 13
113	118		(8) Intentionally. – With respect to an act, that the act was committed knowingly 14
114	119		and without justifiable excuse, while the word "maliciously" means an excuse. 15
115	120		(9) Lawful hunt. – The pursuit or taking of game animals in compliance with 16
116	121		applicable laws and rules of the Wildlife Resources Commission. 17
117	122		(10) Maliciously. – With respect to an act, that the act was committed intentionally 18
118	123		and with malice or bad motive. As used in this section, the term "animal" 19
119	124		includes every living vertebrate in the classes Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and 20
120	125		Mammalia except human beings. However, this 21
121	126		(11) Torture, torment, or cruelly. – Includes any act, omission, or neglect causing 22
122	127		or permitting unjustifiable pain, suffering, or death. 23
123	128		(d) Exclusions. – This section shall not apply to the following activities: 24
124	129		(1) The lawful taking of animals under the jurisdiction and regulation of the 25
125	130		Wildlife Resources Commission, except that this section shall apply to those 26
126	131		birds other than pigeons exempted by the Wildlife Resources Commission 27
127	132		from its definition of "wild birds" pursuant to G.S. 113-129(15a). 28
128	133		(2) Lawful activities conducted for purposes of biomedical research or training or 29
129	134		for purposes of production of livestock, poultry, or aquatic species. 30
130	135		(2a) Lawful activities conducted for the primary purpose of providing food for 31
131	136		human or animal consumption. 32
132	137		(3) Activities conducted for lawful veterinary purposes. 33
133	138		(4) The lawful destruction of any animal for the purposes of protecting the public, 34
134	139		other animals, property, or the public health. 35
135	140		(5) The physical alteration of livestock or poultry for the purpose of conforming 36
136	141		with breed or show standards. 37
137	142		(6) The use of a dog in a lawful hunt." 38
138	143		SECTION 2. Any local ordinances regulating the standard of care for companion 39
139	144		animals that were adopted prior to the date this act becomes law may remain in effect after this 40
140	145		act becomes law, and the governing body of a county or city may adopt ordinances regulating 41
141	146		the standard of care for companion animals after the date this act becomes law if the ordinances 42
142	147		meet or exceed the requirements of G.S. 14-360, as amended in Section 1 of this act. 43
143	148		SECTION 3. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses 44
144	149		committed on or after that date. 45