2017 Vermont Statutes
Title 13 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter 8 - Humane And Proper Treatment Of Animals
§ 352 Cruelty to animals

§ 352. Cruelty to animals

A person commits the crime of cruelty to animals if the person:

(1) intentionally kills or attempts to kill any animal belonging to another person without first obtaining legal authority or consent of the owner;

(2) overworks, overloads, tortures, torments, abandons, administers poison to, cruelly beats or mutilates an animal, or exposes a poison with intent that it be taken by an animal;

(3) ties, tethers, or restrains an animal, either a pet or livestock, in a manner that is inhumane or is detrimental to its welfare. Livestock and poultry husbandry practices are exempted;

(4) deprives an animal which a person owns, possesses or acts as an agent for, of adequate food, water, shelter, rest, sanitation, or necessary medical attention, or transports an animal in overcrowded vehicles;

(5)(A) owns, possesses, keeps, or trains an animal engaged in an exhibition of fighting, or possesses, keeps, or trains any animal with intent that it be engaged in an exhibition of fighting, or permits any such act to be done on premises under his or her charge or control; or

(B) owns, possesses, ships, transports, delivers, or keeps a device, equipment, or implement for the purpose of training or conditioning an animal for participation in animal fighting, or enhancing an animal's fighting capability.

(6) acts as judge or spectator at events of animal fighting or bets or wagers on the outcome of such fight;

(7) as poundkeeper, officer, agent of a humane society or as an owner or employee of an establishment for treatment, board or care of an animal, knowingly receives, sells, transfers or otherwise conveys an animal in his or her care for the purpose of research or vivisection;

(8) intentionally torments or harasses an animal owned or engaged by a police department or public agency of the State or its political subdivisions, or interferes with the lawful performance of a police animal;

(9) knowingly sells, offers for sale, barters or displays living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl which have been dyed, colored or otherwise treated so as to impart to them an artificial color, or fails to provide poultry with proper brooder facilities;

(10) uses a live animal as bait or lure in a race, game, or contest, or in training animals in a manner inconsistent with 10 V.S.A. Part 4 or the rules adopted thereunder;

(11)(A) engages in sexual conduct with an animal;

(B) possesses, sells, transfers, purchases, or otherwise obtains an animal with the intent that it be used for sexual conduct;

(C) organizes, promotes, conducts, aids, abets, or participates in as an observer an act involving any sexual conduct with an animal;

(D) causes, aids, or abets another person to engage in sexual conduct with an animal;

(E) permits sexual conduct with an animal to be conducted on premises under his or her charge or control; or

(F) advertises, offers, or accepts the offer of an animal with the intent that it be subject to sexual conduct in this State. (Added 1989, No. 270 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; amended 1997, No. 130 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 2003, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2015, No. 53, § 1; 2017, No. 62, § 10.)