Crime Of Cruelty To Law Enforcement Service Animal

The act defines a 'certified police working dog' and makes specific inclusion of a certified police working dog in the cruelty to animals statute. A person convicted of cruelty to a certified police working dog is required to make financial restitution to the individual or agency that owns the certified police working dog for all expenses, including any immediate and ongoing veterinary expenses and replacement costs for the certified police working dog if it is permanently disabled or killed as a result of the cruelty to animals incident. The person convicted will further be liable to make restitution to the individual or agency that owns the certified police working dog for all training and certification costs related to the injured certified police working dog if the court finds that the person acted with malicious intent.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)