Cruelty to animals-minimum care.

WORKING DRAFT
2009
STATE OF
WYOMING
09LSO-0638

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0312

Cruelty to animals-minimum care.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Craft, Berger, Byrd and
Carson
and Senator(s) Hastert

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
animal cruelty; providing a standard for minimum care; providing a definition;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 6
‑
3
‑
203(b) is amended to read:

6
‑
3
‑
203.

Cruelty to animals; penalties; limitation on manner of destruction.

(b)

A person commits cruelty to animals if he has the charge and custody of any animal and unnecessarily fails to provide it with
the proper food, drink or protection from the weather,

minimum care
or cruelly abandons the animal
.
, or in the case of immediate, obvious, serious illness or injury, fails to provide the animal with appropriate care.

For purposes of this subsection:

(i)

"Companion animal" means an animal normally maintained in or near the residence of its owner or care giver who is treated as a pet;

(ii)

"
M
inimum care" means care sufficient to preserve the health and well-being of an animal and, except for emergencies or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the owner, includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:

(A
)

Food of sufficient quantity and quality to allow for normal growth or maintenance of body weight;

(
B
)

Open or adequate access to potable water of a drinkable temperature in
sufficient
quantity to satisfy the animal's needs;

(
C
)

Veterinary care deemed necessary by a reasonably prudent person to relieve distress from injury, neglect or disease;

(
D
)

Adequate protection from the elements and weather conditions suitable for the age, species and physical condition of the animal so as to maintain the animal in a state of good health. For companion animals this includes access to a barn, house or other enclosed structure sufficient to protect the animal from wind, rain, snow or
sun
and which has adequate bedding to protect against cold and dampness;

(
E
)

For companion animals, continuous access to an area:

(
I
)

With air temperature suitable for the health of the animal;

(II)

With adequate ventilation;

(III)

With regular diurnal lighting cycles of either natural or artificial light;

(IV)

Kept reasonably clean and free from excess waste or other contaminants that could affect the animal's health; and

(V)

With adequate space for exercise necessary for the health of the animal. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of debility, stress or abnormal behavior patterns.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2009.

(END)

1
HB0312