Ill-Treatment of Animals

2025-2026 Bill 4721: Ill-Treatment of Animals - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4721
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Taylor and Pope
Document Path: LC-0157AHB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Summary: Ill-Treatment of Animals
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 66
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 66
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
47-1-40
, RELATING TO THE ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS, SO AS TO RESTRUCTURE
THE STATUTE AND PROVIDE INCREASED, GRADUATED PENALTIES FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF
ILL-TREATMENT OF ANIMALS OFFENSES.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
47-1-40
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
47-1-40
.
(
A)
A
It is unlawful for a
person
who
to
knowingly or intentionally
overloads,
overdrives, overworks, or ill-treats an animal, deprives an animal of necessary
sustenance or shelter, inflicts
inflict

unnecessary pain or suffering upon an animal, or by omission or commission
knowingly or intentionally
causes
cause
these acts to be done
,
. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection, for
every offense,
is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days or
by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand
dollars, or both, for a first offense; or by imprisonment not exceeding two
years or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or both, for a second or
subsequent offense.
:

(
1) for a first offense, must be fined
not less than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than sixty days,
or both. Notwithstanding another provision of law, a first offense pursuant to
this item must be tried in magistrates or municipal court;

(
2) for a second offense, must be fined
not more than eight hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than ninety
days, or both; and

(
3) for a third or subsequent offense,
must be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more
than two years, or both.

(
B) It is unlawful for a person to
knowingly or intentionally, confine an animal in a vehicle with an inside vehicle
temperature of ninety degrees or higher, fail to provide food or water to an
animal, or deprive an animal of shelter or sanitary living conditions in an
enclosure or the immediate surroundings where the animal is harbored, or by
omission or commission cause these acts to be done. A person who violates the
provisions of this subsection with respect to:

(
1) less than ten animals, is guilty of
a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand
dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Notwithstanding
another provision of law, a first offense pursuant to this item must be tried
in magistrates or municipal court;

(
2) at least ten but less than fifty
animals, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more
than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; and

(
3) more than fifty animals, is guilty
of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than fifteen thousand
dollars or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

(B)
(
C)

A
It
is unlawful for a
person
who tortures, torments,
needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts
to
torture, torment, needlessly mutilate, cruelly kill, or inflict

excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon an animal or by
omission or commission
causes
cause

these acts to be done
,
. A
person who violates the provisions of this subsection, for every offense,

is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction
, must be
punished by imprisonment of not less than one hundred eighty days and not to exceed
five years and by a fine of five thousand dollars.
:

(
1) for a first offense, must be fined
not less than five thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less than one hundred
eighty days nor more than five years, or both;

(
2) for a second offense, must be fined
not less than five thousand nor more than fifteen thousand dollars or
imprisoned for not less than one hundred eighty days nor more than ten years,
or both; and

(
3) for a third or subsequent offense,
must be fined not less than ten thousand nor more than fifty thousand dollars
or imprisoned for not less than one year nor more than ten years, or both.

(
D) In addition to the penalties
provided in this section, the court, in its discretion, also may order that the
person convicted of a violation of the provisions of this section is prohibited
from ownership, control, or authority over any animal for a period of not more
than five years.

(C)
(
E)
This section does not apply to fowl, accepted animal
husbandry practices of farm operations and the training of animals, the
practice of veterinary medicine, agricultural practices, forestry and
silvacultural
silvicultural
practices,
wildlife management practices, or activity authorized by Title 50, including an
activity authorized by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources or an
exercise designed for training dogs for hunting, if repeated contact with a dog
or dogs and another animal does not occur during this training exercise.

S
ECTION 2. The repeal or amendment by this act
of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect
pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter,
discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred
under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision
shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws
repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full
force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right,
civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as
of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties,
penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or
amended laws.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM