Georgia House of Representatives - 1995/1996 Sessions

HB 1273 - Cruelty to animals; felony provisions

Page Numbers - 1

Code Sections - 16-12-4

1. Teper  61st


House Comm: SJudy      /                Senate Comm:            /                                   
House Vote: Yeas       Nays             Senate Vote: Yeas     Nays                                  
              ----------------------------------------                                              
               House          Action         Senate                                                 
              ----------------------------------------                                              
              1/12/96  Read 1st Time                                                                
              1/22/96  Read 2nd Time                                                                
              2/1/96   Favorably Reported                                                           
              Sub      Committee Amend/Sub                                                          
              ----------------------------------------                                              
                                                                                                    
Code Sections amended: 16-12-4                                                                      


HB 1273                                           LC 10 1606S

               The House Committee on Special Judiciary offers the
       following substitute to HB 1273:



                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                               AN ACT


  1- 1  To amend Code Section 16-12-4 of the Official Code of
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to the offense of cruelty to
  1- 3  animals, so as to change the provisions relating to the
  1- 4  crime of cruelty to animals; to provide that certain actions
  1- 5  involving cruelty to a domesticated dog or cat  constitutes
  1- 6  a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature; to change the
  1- 7  penalty provisions applicable to the offense of cruelty to
  1- 8  animals; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

  1- 9       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

                         SECTION 1.

  1-10  Code Section 16-12-4 of the Official Code of Georgia
  1-11  Annotated, relating to the offense of cruelty to animals, is
  1-12  amended by striking subsections (a) and (b) in their
  1-13  entirety and inserting in lieu thereof new subsections (a)
  1-14  and (b) to read as follows:

  1-15    "16-12-4. (Index)

  1-16    (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code
  1-17    section, a A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of cruelty
  1-18    to animals in the second degree when his or her act,
  1-19    omission, or neglect causes unjustifiable physical pain,
  1-20    suffering, or death to any living animal.

  1-21    (b) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and
  1-22    aggravated nature of cruelty to animals in the first
  1-23    degree upon a second or subsequent violation of subsection
  1-24    (a) of this Code section  and, upon conviction, may be
  1-25    punished by imprisonment not to exceed 12 months or a fine
  1-26    not to exceed $5,000.00 or both if he or she intentionally
  1-27    and without justification tortures, maims, or kills any
  1-28    domesticated dog or cat."

                         SECTION 2.

  1-29  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
  1-30  repealed.



                                 -1- (Index)