HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 216        FILED ON: 1/14/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1651

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bradford Hill

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to pet adoption safety.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 216        FILED ON: 1/14/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1651

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1435 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act relative to pet adoption safety.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:-

Section X Animal Abuse Prevention

(1) The following words as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:

1. “animal abuse crime” means the commission of any crime against an animal under Chapter 272, Sections 77 through 81, inclusive, of the General Laws, and the comparable animal cruelty statutes of any other state.

2. “animal breeder” means any entity engaged in the practice of facilitating the reproduction of animals for the purpose of distributing the resulting offspring to one or more other individuals or entities.

3. “animal shelter” means a public animal control facility, or any other facility which is operated by any organization or individual for the purpose of protecting animals from cruelty, neglect, or abuse.

4. “convicted of” means an adjudication of guilt by any court of competent jurisdiction, whether upon a verdict or please of guilty or nolo contendre.

5. “pet store” means every place or premise where birds, mammals or reptiles are kept for the purpose of sale at either wholesale or retail, import, export, barter, exchange or gift.

(2) No person may receive, purchase, adopt, or shelter animals following their conviction of an animal abuse crime.

(3) No animal breeders, animal shelters, or pet stores shall knowingly offer, sell, deliver, give, or provide an animal to any person convicted of an animal abuse crime.

(4)  Any animal shelter, pet store, or animal breeder who violates the provisions of this act shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment for a period of not more than one year for a first offense, provided that each subsequent offense shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $5,000 and imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than five years.

(5) Any persons convicted of an animal abuse crime who attempt to violate the provisions of this act shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment for a period of not more than one year for a first offense, provided that each subsequent offense shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $5,000 and imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than five years.