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§ 5548. Police animals

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated StatutesTitle 18 Pa.C.S.A. Crimes and OffensesEffective: September 9, 2022

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes
Title 18 Pa.C.S.A. Crimes and Offenses (Refs & Annos)
Part II. Definition of Specific Offenses (Refs & Annos)
Article F. Offenses Against Public Order and Decency
Chapter 55. Riot, Disorderly Conduct and Related Offenses (Refs & Annos)
Subchapter B. Cruelty to Animals (Refs & Annos)
Effective: September 9, 2022
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5548
Formerly cited as PA ST 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5511.2
§ 5548. Police animals
Currentness
(a) Illegal to taunt police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally or knowingly taunt, torment, tease, beat, kick or strike a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.
(b) Illegal to torture or kill police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to:
(1) Intentionally or knowingly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a felony of the second degree.
(2) Recklessly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(b.1) Illegal to torture or kill police animals during perpetration of felony.--It shall be unlawful for a person to torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal while engaged as a principal or an accomplice in the perpetration of a felony. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.
(c) Restitution.--In a case in which a defendant is convicted of a violation of subsection (a), (b) or (b.1) the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution to the agency or individual owning the animal for veterinary bills, for replacement costs of the animal if it is disabled or killed and for the salary of the animal's handler for the period of time the handler's services are lost to the agency.

Credits

2017, June 28, P.L. 215, No. 10, § 4, effective in 60 days [Aug. 28, 2017]. Amended 2022, July 11, P.L. 719, No. 60, § 3, effective in 60 days [Sept. 9, 2022].
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5548, PA ST 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5548
Current through 2023 Regular Session Act 7. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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