Title 18: Criminal Code
Article 9: Offences Against Public Peace, Order, And Decency
Part 2: Cruelty To Animals
18-9-202
(1) (a) A person commits cruelty to animals if he or she knowingly or with criminal negligence overdrives, overloads, overworks, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beats, needlessly mutilates, needlessly kills, allows to be housed in a manner that results in chronic or repeated serious physical harm, carries or confines in or upon any vehicles in a cruel or reckless manner, or otherwise mistreats or neglects any animal, or causes or procures it to be done, or, having the charge or custody of any animal, fails to provide it with proper food, drink, or protection from the weather consistent with the species, breed, and type of animal involved, or abandons it an animal.
(1.6) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) “Serious physical harm” means any of the following:
(I) Any physical harm that carries a substantial risk of death;
(II) Any physical harm that causes permanent maiming or that involves some temporary, substantial maiming; or
(III) Any physical harm that causes acute pain of a duration that results in substantial suffering.
(1.8) A peace officer having authority to act under this section may take possession of and impound an animal that the peace officer has probable cause to believe is a victim of a violation of subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section or is a victim of a violation of section 18-9-204 and as a result of the violation is endangered if it remains with the owner or custodian
