An Act To Increase Civil and Criminal Penalties for Animal Cruelty
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1447
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: THOMPSON, CAIN, DUCHESNE, ROSEN, SA VIELLO, TWOMEY
Amends: 7 MRSA §4016, 7 MRSA §4018, 17 MRSA §1031

Legislative Document 
No. 1447 
H.P.lOll 
House of Representatives, March 22, 2005 
An Act To Increase Civil and Criminal Penalties for Animal Cruelty 
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative THOMPSON of China. 
17/~ 
1J7.11!d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: CAIN of Orono, DUCHESNE of Hudson, ROSEN of 
Bucksport, SA VIELLO of Wilton, TWOMEY of Biddeford. 
Printed on recyc led paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §4016, sub-§I, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 425, 
§4, is amended to read: 
1. 
Pena1ty. 
A person who violates this chapter commits a 
civil violation for which the following penalties apply. 
A. 
The court shall adjudge a eiviJ: fine of not less than 
$500 
Be~ and not more than $2, 500 
€e~--t-he--f-.i-r:-s-t::--vieJ:at:ieB, 
none of which may be suspended, aBe-a-€iviJ: except that for 
a violation of section 4011 the court shall adjudge a fine 
of not less than $1,000 
Be~ and not more than $5,000 for a 
first violation, a fine of not less than $2,000 and not more 
than $5,000 for a 
2nd 
e~-~~,*eBt: violation 9€---s-e-G&i-eB 
40~~ and a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than 
$10,000 for a 3rd or subsequent violation, none of which may 
be suspended. 
B. 
The 
violated 
court may 
the laws 
costs of the care, 
for the animal. 
order 
against 
housing 
a 
person adjudicated as having 
cruelty to animals to pay the 
and veterinary medical treatment 
c. 
The court, 
as part of the 
judgment, 
may prohibit a 
person 
adjudicated 
as 
having violated the 
laws 
against 
cruelty to animals from owning, possessing or having on the 
defendant's premises an animal for a period of time up to 
and including permanent relinquishment. 
D. 
The court, as part of the judgment, may order that the 
ee€eBeaBt: person adjudicated as having violated the laws 
against 
cruelty 
to 
animals 
submit 
to 
and 
complete 
a 
psychological evaluation for in camera review by the court. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §4018, sub-§I, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 422, 
§ll, is amended to read: 
1. 
Report 
by veterinarian. 
A veterinarian 
licensed 
in 
accordance with Title 32, chapter 71-A who, while acting in a 
professional capacity, has reasonable cause to suspect that an 
animal is the subject of cruelty or neglect in violation of this 
chapter or Title 17, chapter 42, may ~ 
report the suspected 
violation to the commissioner, the commissioner' s 
designee, 
an 
animal control officer, 
an attorney for the State or 
£ 
law 
enforcement officer. 
A veterinarian making a report under this 
section may appear and testify in a judicial or administrative 
proceeding concerning the condition or care of the animal. 
Page l-LR1682(1) 
, 
r 
Sec. 3. 17 MRSA §1031, sub-§3-B, ~A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
452, Pt. I, §20 and affected by Pt. X, §2, is amended to read: 
A. 
In addition to any other penalty authorized by law, the 
court shall impose a fine of not less than $~§g $1,000 for 
eael:!. a first violation of this section, a fine of not less 
than $2,000 and not more than $5,000 for a 
2nd violation 
and, notwithstanding Title 17-A, section 1301, a fine of not 
less than $5,000 and not more than $10,000 for a 3rd or 
subsequent violation, none of which may be suspended. 
The 
court may ~ 
order the defendant to pay the costs of the 
care, 
housing 
and veterinary medical 
treatment 
for 
the 
animal. 
SUMMARY 
This bill increases the civil fines for cruelty to animals 
from $500 to $2,500 for a first offense to $1,000 to $5,000 and 
from $1,000 to $5,000 for a 
2nd offense to $2,000 to $5,000. 
This bill establishes fines for a 3rd or subsequent offense at 
$5,000 to $10,000. 
This bill increases the criminal fines for 
cruelty to 
animals from $250 for any offense to $1,000 to $5,000 
for 
a first offense, 
$2,000 to $5,000 for 
a 
2nd offense and 
$5,000 to $10,000 for a 3rd or subsequent offense. 
None of these 
fines may be suspended. 
This bill also requires veterinarians to 
report cases in which they have 
a 
reasonable suspicion that 
animal cruelty has been committed.