SENATE DOCKET, NO. 25        FILED ON: 1/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1131

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

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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 promoting pet safety aka Crawford's Law.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

James M. Kelcourse

1st Essex

1/19/2021

Bradford Hill

4th Essex

1/20/2021

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

1/20/2021

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

1/22/2021

Alan Silvia

7th Bristol

1/22/2021

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

2/12/2021

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

2/24/2021

Joseph D. McKenna

18th Worcester

2/24/2021

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

2/25/2021

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

2/25/2021

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

3/1/2021

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

3/3/2021

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

3/19/2021

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

3/29/2021

Daniel J. Ryan

2nd Suffolk

4/4/2021


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 25        FILED ON: 1/8/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1131

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1131) of Bruce E. Tarr, James M. Kelcourse, Bradford Hill, Joan B. Lovely and other members of the General Court for legislation to promote pet safety aka Crawford's Law.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act promoting pet safety aka Crawford's Law.

 

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 2018 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after section 77C the following section 77D:-

(a) A person who by willful, wanton, reckless, or negligent act causes the unnecessary or unjustified death of a cat or dog shall be liable in damages for the fair monetary value of the deceased animal to the owner of the animal, including, but not limited to, damages for the loss of comfort, protection, companionship, other special damages, services of the deceased animal to its owner; reasonable afterlife expenses of the deceased animal; court costs and attorney's fees; and other reasonable damages resulting from the willful, wanton, reckless, or negligent act. Non-economic damages shall have a cap value of $30,000.00

(b) Damages under this section for unnecessary or unjustified death sustained by an animal shall be recovered in an action of tort by the aggrieved, commenced within three years from the date, of death or from the date when the aggrieved knew, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have known, of the factual basis for a claim of relief