HB 508

Abstract

Animal care; cruelty; dangerous dogs. Extensively reorganizes, clarifies, and makes substantive changes to provisions related to dangerous dogs. Substantive changes include (i) a requirement that a law-enforcement officer or animal control officer who has reason to believe that a dog within his jurisdiction is a dangerous dog must apply for a district court summons, a requirement that is discretionary under current law; (ii) a prohibition on disposing of a dog prior to a dangerous dog adjudication; (iii) additional requirements for owners during and after a dangerous dog adjudication, including notice upon transfer, signage, fencing, muzzling, and registration; (iv) court discretion on prohibiting ownership of or residence with a dog following a dangerous dog adjudication; and (v) additional recordkeeping for officers in certain situations. The bill also increases from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony the penalty for a first offense of killing a domestic dog or cat for the purpose of obtaining its hide, fur, or pelt. Current law imposes a Class 6 felony charge only for a second or subsequent offense.