Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 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.