Laws Guiding Animal Abuse in Sacramento
Animal cruelty is a severe crime in the State of California. The most strict animal abuse laws in the US are found in the state. Any animal abuse or neglect allegations face severe prosecutions. In most cases, Sacramento animal abuse allegations come from unintended circumstances like leaving your pet in the car for long without attending to it, accidentally injuring your pet, or not giving proper care to the pet.
A person who has been charged with animal abuse faces severe punishment, including counseling, fines, imprisonment, or their animal can even be removed from their care. The person can also be prohibited from having ownership of any animal for up to a decade for violating specific California animal abuse laws.
Penal Code Section 597 primarily prohibits animal cruelty in California. It is a crime to maliciously maim, mutilate torture, wound, or kill any kind of animal. Also, it is a crime not to provide proper shelter, food, drink, or protection from the weather to an animal. The offence can be a felony or a misdemeanor.
Abandoning pets is also a misdemeanor in California. Among the California pet laws is one that simply states that it is illegal to abandon any animal purposefully. Another law criminalizes leaving an animal without proper care or attention in any street, lot, enclosure, building, or any other public place.
Pet owners can be charged with a misdemeanor for leaving their pets unattended in vehicles with conditions that may result in suffering or death. Such circumstances may include heat or cold, lack of enough ventilation, or lack of adequate food or water. Bystanders or emergency responders are allowed to break into locked vehicles in case of a need to rescue an animal in distress.
Pet owners who leave their animals confined in an enclosed space should give enough room for exercise. If the pets are left alone on a leash or chain, the owner should ensure that the animal would not get tangled up or get hurt. They should also ensure that the animal can reach shelter, food, and water. California law requires owners to use running lines, trolleys, or pulley systems to tether their pets not unless it is for a temporary period. Violating these requirements can either lead to misdemeanors or infractions.
California animal cruelty laws prohibit people from poisoning other people’s animals on purpose. However, using poison to control predatory animals on your property is not a crime, as long as you had posted conspicuous warning signs. For such a case, you will not be liable if the owner of the poisoned animal sues you.
