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April 16, 2026 Rain | 59°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.1277 194th (Current)

An Act relative to the humane protection of animals

By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1277) of John C. Velis, Joanne M. Comerford, Michael O. Moore, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to the humane protection of animals. The Judiciary.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
John C. Velis

Animal Welfare

Restricting the possession of animals after a cruelty conviction: This section would prevent a person convicted of certain animal cruelty crimes — including torture, mutilation, and dogfighting — from possessing, adopting, fostering, or otherwise accessing an animal for a period of time determined by the court. It establishes a petition process wherein a first-time offender may appeal their possession ban status if they can demonstrate rehabilitation in a number of specific ways, including that they do not present a danger to animals, they have the ability to properly care for an animal, and they have successfully completed relevant classes and counseling deemed sufficient by the court. This section would not create any new crime and would not alter jail time for any crimes. It would complement Massachusetts’ strong cruelty code by providing an additional tool to help prevent recidivism and animal cruelty in their communities. In fact, the legislatively-created Animal Cruelty Task Force recommended in its 2016 report that the legislature consider such a provision. Creating alternate pathways to ensure animals are safe without a felony charge: Massachusetts only has a felony animal cruelty penalty. However, there are times when such a penalty may not be appropriate or helpful (when mental health may be an issue, for example) but animals are still suffering or otherwise kept in violation of the cruelty statute. This section would allow animals, when other resolutions have failed, to be removed for their health and safety – and without animal cruelty charges. The goal is to ensure animals are safe from cruel situations – allowing the need for cruelty charges to be evaluated depending on the situation and what would be most effective and just.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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