South Carolina General Assembly
107th Session, 1987-1988

Bill 2021

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2021
Ratification Number:       431
Act Number                 401
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to the ill-treatment of
                           animals
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A401, R431, H2021)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-1-40, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, SO AS TO FURTHER PROVIDE FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES ILL-TREATMENT AND TO INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION, TO ALSO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO TORTURE, MUTILATE, OR CRUELLY, KILL ANIMALS AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION, AND TO PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Ill-treatment and torture of animals

SECTION 1. Section 47-1-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 47-1-40. (A) Whoever overloads, overdrives, overworks, ill-treats, deprives of necessary sustenance, shelter, or inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or causes these things to be done, whether the person is the owner of the animal or has charge or custody of it, for every offense, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days or by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars for a first offense; by imprisonment not exceeding sixty days or by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or both, for a second offense; or by imprisonment not exceeding one year or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, or both, for a third or subsequent offense.

(B) Whoever tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or causes the acts to be done for any of the offenses is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not to exceed sixty days or by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars, or both.

(C) The provisions of the section do not apply to fowl, accepted animal husbandry practices of farm operations, the training of animals, or the practice of veterinary medicine."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.