(A) No person shall cause or allow cruelty to be inflicted on an animal.
(B) (1) No person shall cause or permit any dog fight or other combat between animals.
(2) For the purpose of this division (B),
NEGLECT, CRUEL, ILL TREATMENT AND TORMENT OF AN ANIMAL shall be defined as a failure by a person to adhere to the requirements and provisions of enforcement.
(3) In the event there is a reasonable cause to suspect that an animal is being beaten, cruelly ill-treated, neglected or tormented or involved in dog fight or other combat, custody of an animal may be taken by a county dog warden, peace officer or humane officer and impounded in a shelter or other facility maintained by a humane society. The animal shall be held as evidence and confined in such facility in a humane manner.
(4) Upon finding by a court that the animal has been neglected, beaten, cruelly ill-treated or tormented or involved in a dog fight or other combat between animals, the animal shall become the property of the county.
(C) No person shall own, possess, keep or train any dog with the intent that the dog shall be engaged in exhibition of fighting. In the event that a person shall own, possess, keep or train any animal with the intent that the animal shall be engaged in an exhibition of fighting, he or she shall be liable for citation for violation of this chapter and subject to the penalties under § 90.27 of this code.
(D) No person shall be present at any dog fight or combat between animals. In the event that a person is present at a dog fight or combat between animals, he or she shall be liable for citation for violation of this chapter and subject to the penalties provided in § 90.27 of this code.
(E) Any person who is found present at a dog fight or combat between animals, and who is charged with being a spectator in violation of this chapter, and who is in possession of, and/or is the owner of an animal of the same species as that involved in the animal fight, shall be charged with intent to engage in an exhibition of fighting in violation of this chapter. The animal shall be confiscated if found on the premises or in the immediate area of the dog fight or combat between animals.
(Prior Code, § 90.08) Penalty, see § 90.99
Statutory reference:
Cruelty to animals in the first degree, a Class D felony, see KRS 525.125