Text to be removed highlighted in red.
1 New Paragraph; Serious Harm to Animal as a Result of Animal Cruelty; Definition. Amend RSA 644:8 by inserting after paragraph II-a the following new paragraph:
II-b. In this section, "serious harm" means any harm to the animal's body which causes severe, permanent, or protracted loss of or impairment to the health or the function of any part of the animal's body.
2 New Paragraphs; Serious Harm to or Death of Animal as a Result of Animal Cruelty; Penalties. Amend RSA 644:8 by inserting after paragraph III-a the following new paragraphs:
III-b. A person is guilty of a class B felony if such person purposely, knowingly, or recklessly commits one of the following acts and such conduct causes serious harm to or the death of the animal:
(a) Without lawful authority deprives or causes to be deprived any animal in his possession or custody necessary care, sustenance or shelter;
(b) Beats, cruelly whips, tortures, mutilates or in any other manner mistreats or causes to be mistreated any animal;
(c) Overdrives, overworks, drives when overloaded, or otherwise abuses or misuses any animal intended for or used for labor;
(d) Transports any animal in his possession or custody in a manner injurious to the health, safety or physical well-being of such animal;
(e) Abandons any animal previously in his or her possession or custody by causing such animal to be left without supervision or adequate provision for its care, sustenance, or shelter;
(f) Has in his or her possession an equine colt that is less than 90 days old that is not being nursed by its dam, unless the colt was born in this state, and its dam has died within this state before the colt became 90 days old;
(g) Sells an equine colt that is less than 90 days old that is not being nursed by its dam; or
(h) Otherwise permits or causes any animal in his or her possession or custody to be subjected to cruelty, inhumane treatment, or unnecessary suffering of any kind.
III-c. This section shall not apply to customarily accepted animal husbandry practices, or humane slaughter under RSA 427, or accepted methods of euthanasia as determined by the American Veterinary Medical Association to alleviate the suffering of an injured or ill animal.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.
Text to be added highlighted in green.
1 New Paragraph; Serious Harm to Animal as a Result of Animal Cruelty; Definition. Amend RSA 644:8 by inserting after paragraph II-a the following new paragraph:
II-b. In this section, "serious harm" means any harm to the animal's body which causes severe, permanent, or protracted loss of or impairment to the health or the function of any part of the animal's body.
2 New Paragraphs; Serious Harm to or Death of Animal as a Result of Animal Cruelty; Penalties. Amend RSA 644:8 by inserting after paragraph III-a the following new paragraphs:
III-b. A person is guilty of a class B felony if such person purposely, knowingly, or recklessly commits one of the following acts and such conduct causes serious harm to or the death of the animal:
(a) Without lawful authority deprives or causes to be deprived any animal in his possession or custody necessary care, sustenance or shelter;
(b) Beats, cruelly whips, tortures, mutilates or in any other manner mistreats or causes to be mistreated any animal;
(c) Overdrives, overworks, drives when overloaded, or otherwise abuses or misuses any animal intended for or used for labor;
(d) Transports any animal in his possession or custody in a manner injurious to the health, safety or physical well-being of such animal;
(e) Abandons any animal previously in his or her possession or custody by causing such animal to be left without supervision or adequate provision for its care, sustenance, or shelter;
(f) Has in his or her possession an equine colt that is less than 90 days old that is not being nursed by its dam, unless the colt was born in this state, and its dam has died within this state before the colt became 90 days old;
(g) Sells an equine colt that is less than 90 days old that is not being nursed by its dam; or
(h) Otherwise permits or causes any animal in his or her possession or custody to be subjected to cruelty, inhumane treatment, or unnecessary suffering of any kind.
III-c. This section shall not apply to customarily accepted animal husbandry practices, or humane slaughter under RSA 427, or accepted methods of euthanasia as determined by the American Veterinary Medical Association to alleviate the suffering of an injured or ill animal.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.