News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Legislature Votes to Amend Animal Cruelty Law

Protects Domestic Pets by Closing Loopholes

For Immediate Release: May 5, 1998 Contact: Senator Dave Donley at (907) 465-3892.

Juneau – The House Tuesday passed legislation to strengthen Alaska law regarding animal cruelty cases. Senate Bill 284, sponsored by Senator Dave Donley (R-Anchorage), changes statutory language to make the law protecting domestic animals more prosecutable. Senate Bill 284 passed by a vote of 32 to 5.

"Many incidents of serious animal cruelty and neglect in Alaska have gone un-prosecuted because language in our state’s current law is too vague," said Donley. "SB 284 changes the law so that offenders can now be prosecuted for heinous acts of animal cruelty."

SB 284 makes the following changes to language in State law:

• Changes the word "intentionally" to "knowingly" which lowers the state of mind the state must prove in prosecuting an animal cruelty case. For example, in cases involving starving animals, an owner’s actions may not have been "intentional", but a reasonable person would "know" that lack of food causes starvation.
  
• Changes the word "recklessly" to the phrase "with criminal negligence" which lowers the criminal standard. Recklessness is indicated by an awareness and conscious disregard. Criminal negligence is indicated by a "failure to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur…."
  
• Does not affect existing statute which protects farmers, ranchers, hunters and trappers who are conducting accepted veterinary practices including castration, dehorning, branding, euthanizing, etc. The bill adds a protection for animal handlers who conform to accepted animal husbandry practices.
  
• Does not affect the existing statute which designates cruelty to animals as a class A misdemeanor.

Supporters of this bill include: Alaska Animal Control Association, Mush with Pride, The Alaska Farm Bureau, Alaska Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Iditarod Race Winner Libby Riddles, Fairbanks Animal Control, Kenai Animal Control, Friends of Pets, and the Gastineau Humane Society and our prosecuters in the Department of Law.

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