Missouri
Anti-Cruelty StatutesMISSOURI
STATUTES
TITLE XXXVIII. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENT;
PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC
DEFENDERS
CHAPTER 578. MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES
§
578.009. Animal neglect and abandonment--penalties
1.
A person is guilty of animal neglect when he has custody or ownership or both
of an animal and fails to provide adequate care or adequate control, which results
in substantial harm to the animal. 2.
A person is guilty of abandonment when he has knowingly abandoned an animal in
any place without making provisions for its adequate care. 3.
Animal neglect and abandonment is a class C misdemeanor upon first conviction
and for each offense, punishable by imprisonment or a fine not to exceed five
hundred dollars, or both, and a class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment
or a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars, or both upon the second and all
subsequent convictions. All fines and penalties for a first conviction of animal
neglect or abandonment may be waived by the court provided that the person found
guilty of animal neglect or abandonment shows that adequate, permanent remedies
for the neglect or abandonment have been made. Reasonable costs incurred for the
care and maintenance of neglected or abandoned animals may not be waived. This
section shall not apply to the provisions of section 578.007. 4.
In addition to any other penalty imposed by this section, the court may order
a person found guilty of animal neglect or abandonment to pay all reasonable costs
and expenses necessary for: 0 - (1)
The care and maintenance of neglected or abandoned animals within the person's
custody or ownership;
- (2)
The disposal of any dead or diseased animals within the person's custody or ownership;
- (3) The reduction
of resulting organic debris affecting the immediate area of the neglect or abandonment;
and
- (4) The
avoidance or minimization of any public health risks created by the neglect or
abandonment of the animals.
§
578.012. Animal abuse--penalties
1. A person is guilty of animal abuse
when a person:
- (1)
Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed by or expressly
exempted from the provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 and 273.030, RSMo;
- (2) Purposely
or intentionally causes injury or suffering to an animal; or
- (3)
Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly fails to provide adequate care
or adequate control.
2.
Animal abuse is a class A misdemeanor, unless the defendant has previously plead
guilty to or has been found guilty of animal abuse or the suffering involved in
subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section is the result of torture or mutilation,
or both, consciously inflicted while the animal was alive, in which case it is
a class D felony.
| 