HB 1304-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Declares that a person is guilty of animal cruelty in the first degree when, except as authorized by law, he or she, with criminal negligence, starves, dehydrates, or suffocates an animal and as a result causes: (a) Substantial and unjustifiable physical pain that extends for a period sufficient to cause considerable suffering; or (b) death.

Declares that animal cruelty in the first degree is a class C felony.

Provides that a person commits the crime of animal fighting if the person knowingly does any of the following: (1) Owns, possesses, keeps, breeds, trains, buys, sells, or advertises or offers for sale any animal with the intent that the animal shall be engaged in an exhibition of fighting with another animal;

(2) Promotes, organizes, conducts, participates in, advertises, or performs any service in the furtherance of an exhibition of animal fighting, transports spectators to an animal fight, or provides or serves as a stakeholder for any money wagered on an animal fight;

(3) Keeps or uses any place for the purpose of animal fighting, or manages or accepts payment of admission to any place kept or used for the purpose of animal fighting;

(4) Suffers or permits any place over which the person has possession or control to be occupied, kept, or used for the purpose of an exhibition of animal fighting; or

(5) Takes, leads away, possesses, confines, sells, transfers, or receives a stray animal or a pet animal, with the intent to deprive the owner of the pet animal, and with the intent of using the stray animal or pet animal for animal fighting, or for training or baiting for the purpose of animal fighting.

Declares that a person who violates this act is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.