HB 321 AN ACT relating to animals

About HB-321

Create or repeal and reenacted sections of KRS Chapter 525 to define terms; establish crimes of animal abuse in the first degree and animal abuse in the second degree; authorize law enforcement and animal control officers to seize and hold animals who are victims of cruelty or abuse; allow a seizing agency to seek forfeiture and reimbursement for reasonable costs of caring for seized animals from the owner of the animal in the criminal case; provide that the costs of caring for a seized animal shall apply to any offspring born to that animal while in custody; grant civil immunity to a person who enters a car containing a dog or cat believed in good faith to be in danger of death, subject to certain parameters; amend KRS 525.125 and 525.130 to provide for the seizure of animals from a person charged with cruelty to animals in the first degree and from a person charged with cruelty to animals in the second degree with additional available penalties; amend KRS 525.137 to allow seizure of an animal that has been the object of sexual crimes against an animal.