Bill > H4721

This bill amends South Carolina's animal cruelty law to establish more structured and graduated penalties for different levels of animal ill-treatment. The bill creates three distinct categories of offenses: (1) basic animal ill-treatment, which includes overworking, depriving animals of necessities, or causing unnecessary pain, with penalties ranging from a $100 fine and up to 60 days in jail for a first offense to increased fines and imprisonment for subsequent offenses; (2) more severe mistreatment involving vehicle confinement, lack of food/water, or poor living conditions, with penalties escalating based on the number of animals involved - from misdemeanor charges for less than ten animals to felony charges with significant fines and prison time for more than fifty animals; and (3) the most serious category of animal torture or cruel killing, which carries felony charges with increasingly severe penalties for first, second, and subsequent offenses, including potential fines up to $50,000 and imprisonment up to ten years. Additionally, the court may prohibit a convicted person from owning or controlling animals for up to five years. The bill preserves existing exemptions for certain agricultural, veterinary, wildlife management, and animal training practices, ensuring that standard professional and husbandry activities are not criminalized.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=4721&session=126&summary=B