An Act To Amend Animal Welfare Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0652
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: CRAY, SHERMAN, BLACK, DILL, GIFFORD, KENT, O'BRIEN, TIMBERLAKE, THIBODEAU
Amends: 7 MRSA §3952, 16 MRSA §614

Legislative Document 
No. 652 
H.P. 482 
House of Representatives, February 17, 2011 
An Act To Amend Animal Welfare Laws 
Submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources pursuant to Joint 
Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CRAY of Palmyra. 
Cosponsored by Senator SHERMAN of Aroostook and 
Representatives: BLACK of Wilton, DILL of Old Town, GIFFORD of Lincoln, KENT of 
Woolwich, McCABE of Skowhegan, O'BRIEN of Lincolnville, TIMBERLAKE of Turner, 
Senator: THIBODEAU of Waldo. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §3952, sub-§1, ¶B, as corrected by RR 2009, c. 1, §9, is 
amended to read: 
B.  Order the dog to be euthanized if it has killed, maimed or inflicted serious bodily 
injury upon a person or, has a history of a prior assault or has a prior finding of being 
a dangerous dog. 
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §3952, sub-§8, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 170, §4, is 
amended to read: 
A.  It is necessary to obtain veterinary care for the dog or to comply with orders of 
the court or the court approves the specific movement of the dog as requested by a 
party to an action under this section; and 
Sec. 3.  16 MRSA §614, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 155, Pt. A, §5, is 
further amended to read: 
1.  Limitation on dissemination of intelligence and investigative information.  
Reports or records that contain intelligence and investigative information and that are 
prepared by, prepared at the direction of or kept in the custody of a local, county or 
district criminal justice agency; the Bureau of State Police; the Department of the 
Attorney General; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Office of State Fire 
Marshal; the Department of Corrections; the criminal law enforcement units of the 
Department of Marine Resources or the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; or 
the Department of Conservation, Division of Forest Protection when the reports or 
records pertain to arson; or the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources 
when the reports or records pertain to animal cruelty are confidential and may not be 
disseminated if there is a reasonable possibility that public release or inspection of the 
reports or records would: 
A.  Interfere with law enforcement proceedings; 
B.  Result in public dissemination of prejudicial information concerning an accused 
person or concerning the prosecution's evidence that will interfere with the ability of 
a court to impanel an impartial jury; 
C.  Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy; 
D.  Disclose the identity of a confidential source; 
E.  Disclose confidential information furnished only by the confidential source; 
F.  Disclose trade secrets or other confidential commercial or financial information 
designated as such by the owner or source of the information or by the Department of 
the Attorney General; 
G.  Disclose investigative techniques and procedures or security plans and procedures 
not generally known by the general public; 
H.  Endanger the life or physical safety of any individual, including law enforcement 
personnel; 
I.  Disclose conduct or statements made or documents submitted by any person in the 
course of any mediation or arbitration conducted under the auspices of the 
Department of the Attorney General; 
J.  Disclose information designated confidential by some other statute; or 
K.  Identify the source of complaints made to the Department of the Attorney General 
involving violations of consumer or antitrust laws. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the animal welfare laws to provide greater protection for victims of 
dangerous dogs.  It also adds reports and records of the Department of Agriculture, Food 
and Rural Resources pertaining to animal cruelty to the list of reports and records that 
contain intelligence and investigative information that are confidential.