PRINTER'S NO. 138
No. 109 Special Session No. 1 of 1995
INTRODUCED BY VEON, M. COHEN, BELARDI, NAILOR, TIGUE, STURLA,
STABACK, ROONEY, READSHAW, MELIO, TRELLO, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN,
PETRARCA, YOUNGBLOOD, BELFANTI, PRESTON AND WOZNIAK,
APRIL 20, 1995
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 20, 1995
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 7, 1982 (P.L.784, No.225), entitled
2 "An act relating to dogs, regulating the keeping of dogs;
3 providing for the licensing of dogs and kennels; providing
4 for the protection of dogs and the detention and destruction
5 of dogs in certain cases; regulating the sale and
6 transportation of dogs; declaring dogs to be personal
7 property and the subject of theft; providing for the
8 assessment of damages done to livestock, poultry and domestic
9 game birds; providing for payment of damages by the
10 Commonwealth in certain cases and the liability of the owner
11 or keeper of dogs for such damages; imposing powers and
12 duties on certain State and local officers and employees;
13 providing penalties; and creating a Dog Law Restricted
14 Account," further providing for dogs used in law enforcement.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Section 602(a) and (b) of the act of December 7,
18 1982 (P.L.784, No.225), known as the Dog Law, amended May 31,
19 1990 (P.L.211, No.45), are amended to read:
20 Section 602. Dogs used for law enforcement.
21 (a) Illegal to taunt law enforcement dogs.--It shall be
22 unlawful for any person to willfully and maliciously taunt,
23 torment, tease, beat, kick or strike any dog used by any
1 municipal or State police department or agency in the
2 performance of the functions or duties of such department or
3 agency or to commit any of the stated acts in the course of
4 interfering with any such dog used by the department or agency
5 or any member thereof in the performance of the functions or
6 duties of the department or agency or of such officer or member.
7 Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subsection
8 commits a misdemeanor of the [second] first degree.
9 (b) Illegal to torture certain dogs.--It shall be unlawful
10 for any person to willfully or maliciously torture, mutilate,
11 injure, disable, poison or kill any dog used by any municipal or
12 State police department or agency in the performance of the
13 functions or duties of the department or agency or to commit any
14 of the stated acts in the course of interfering with any such
15 dog used by the department or agency or any member thereof in
16 the performance of any of the functions or duties of the
17 department or agency or of such officer or member. Any person
18 who violates any of the provisions of this subsection commits a
19 [misdemeanor of the first degree] felony of the third degree.
20 * * *
21 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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