Alabama Pet Care @ Grassroots Animal Rights

Title 13A: Criminal Code
  Chapter 11: Offenses Against Public Order And Safety
    Article 6A: Offenses Against Animal Research and Animal Production Facilities
    
Section 13A-11-150

Legislative findings and determinations.
The Legislature has found and determined that there has been an increasing number of illegal acts committed against animal research and production facilities involving injury to humans or animals, criminal trespass, and damage to property. These acts not only abridge the property rights of the owner of the facility, they also damage the public interest by jeopardizing crucial scientific, biomedical, or agricultural research or production. These actions can also threaten the public safety by exposing communities to serious public health concerns and may substantially disrupt or damage research.

Therefore, it is in the interest of the people of the State of Alabama to protect the welfare of humans and animals as well as productive use of public funds to prohibit unauthorized possession, alteration, or destruction of agricultural, educational, or research records, equipment, and animals.

Section 13A-11-153

Prohibited acts

It shall be unlawful for any person to do any of the following:

(1) Intentionally release, steal, destroy, demolish, obliterate, or otherwise cause loss of any animal or crop from an animal or crop facility without the consent of the owner.

(2) Damage, vandalize, or steal any property on or from an animal or crop facility.

(3) Obtain access to an animal or crop facility by false pretenses for the purpose of performing acts not authorized by that facility.

(4) Break and enter into any animal or crop facility with the intent to destroy, alter, duplicate, or obtain unauthorized possession of records, data, materials, equipment, animals, or crops.

(5) Knowingly obtain control by theft or deception that is unauthorized, or to exert control that is unauthorized over any records, data, materials, equipment, animals, or crops of any animal or crop facility for the purpose of depriving the rightful owner or facility of records, materials, data, equipment, animals, or crops.

(6) Possess or use records, materials, data, equipment, crops, or animals in any way to copy or reproduce records or data of an animal or crop facility knowing or reasonably believing that the records, materials, data, equipment, crops, or animals have been obtained by theft or deception, or without authorization of the rightful owners or administrators of the animal or crop facility.

(7) Enter or remain on an animal or crop facility with the intent to commit an act prohibited under this section.

Title 13A: Criminal Code
  Chapter 11: Offenses Against Public Order And Safety
    Article 11: Cruelty to Dog or Cat
    
Section: 13A-11-240

(A) The word “torture” as used in this article shall mean the act of doing physical injury to a dog or cat by the infliction of inhumane treatment or gross physical abuse meant to cause said animal intensive or prolonged pain or serious physical injury, or thereby causing death due to said act.

(B) The word “cruel” as used in this article shall mean: Every act, omission, or neglect, including abandonment, where unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering, including abandonment, is caused or where unnecessary pain or suffering is allowed to continue.

(C) The words “dog or cat” as used in this article shall mean any domesticated member of the dog or cat family.

Title 13A: Criminal Code
  Chapter 11: Offenses Against Public Order And Safety
    Article 11: Cruelty to Dog or Cat
    
Section: 13A-11-241

Cruelty in first and second degrees.
(A) A person commits the crime of cruelty to a dog or cat in the first degree if he or she intentionally tortures any dog or cat or skins a domestic dog or cat or offers for sale or exchange or offers to buy or exchange the fur, hide, or pelt of a domestic dog or cat. Cruelty to a dog or cat in the first degree is a Class C felony. A conviction for a felony pursuant to this section shall not be considered a felony for purposes of the Habitual Felony Offender Act, Section 13A-5-9 to 13A-5-10.1, inclusive.

(B) A person commits the crime of cruelty to a dog or cat in the second degree if he or she, in a cruel manner, overloads, overdrives, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, unnecessarily or cruelly beats, injuries, mutilates, or causes the same to be done. Cruelty to a dog or cat in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

Title 13A: Criminal Code
  Chapter 11: Offenses Against Public Order And Safety
    Article 1: Offenses Against Public Order and Decency
    
Section 13A-11-14

(A) A person commits the crime of cruelty to animals if, except as otherwise authorized by law, he intentionally or recklessly:
  (1) Subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment; or
  (2) Subjects any animal in his custody to cruel neglect; or
  (3) Kills or injures without good cause any animal belonging to another.
  
(B) Cruelty to animals is a Class B misdemeanor.

The Animal Industry Division is responsible for the administration of programs to prevent,  eradicate and control diseases of livestock and poultry, as well as assuring that all meat  and meat food products offered for sale to consumers are not adulterated, are wholesome, and are properly marked, labeled, and packaged.

Other responsibilities include: assuring that all animals imported into Alabama are in  compliance with import requirements, administering the National Poultry Improvement Plan,  providing  diagnostic laboratories, and conducting epidemiological/investigation of disease  outbreaks of livestock and poultry. 

The duties and responsibilities of this division are administered by three sections:Animal Health, Meat and Poultry Inspection, and Diagnostic Laboratories.

Animal Health Section:  Responsible for protecting the health of livestock and poultry in Alabama by administering  programs to prevent, control and eradicate diseases. 

Meat and Poultry Inspection Section:  Assures the consumer that all meat and meat food products that are sold in Alabama have  under gone inspection prior to slaughter, during slaughter and during the process of  preparing these products.  Inspection assures consumers that at the time the meat food  products leave the establishment in which they were produced, they were clean, wholesome,  unadulterated and properly labeled. 

Diagnostic Laboratories:  The diagnostic laboratories identify and investigate diseases of livestock, poultry,  wildlife, and companion animals.  The laboratories perform special tests not provided  at most veterinary practices.  The diagnostic laboratory system comprises a central  reference laboratory at Auburn and satellite laboratories at Elba, Boaz, and Hanceville.