Bill > SB1304

This bill creates a new criminal offense of making a malicious false report of animal abuse and modifies the existing animal abuse statute in Missouri. The new offense occurs when someone purposely makes a false report to law enforcement or a government agency about animal abuse, knowing the report is false, with the intent to disrupt, harass, cause monetary loss, or disturb the peace of an animal's owner, and the report actually causes such disruption. This offense would be classified as a class C misdemeanor. The bill provides an important defense: if the person reporting the alleged abuse had a good faith and reasonable belief that abuse was occurring, they cannot be prosecuted. The bill also updates the animal abuse statute, expanding the definition of aggravated animal abuse to include starvation and dehydration as potential forms of torture. Under the revised law, animal abuse remains a class A misdemeanor, but becomes a class E felony if the abuse involves torture, mutilation, starvation, or dehydration, or if the defendant has previous animal abuse convictions. These changes aim to protect both animals and animal owners from false accusations while ensuring more comprehensive legal protections for animals.

Labor and Employment

https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=410