HF4159

Purpose

To strengthen protections for pets and companion animals by expanding the reach of the Pet and Companion Animal Welfare Act and increasing penalties for maltreatment. The bill broadens who is covered by the Act and raises consequences for abusing, neglecting, or cruelly treating animals.

Main provisions

• Scope and applicability

  • Sections 346.35 to 346.44 apply to all persons, including but not limited to veterinarians, animal boarding facilities, and commercial animal facilities.
  • The definitions used in these sections apply consistently to 346.35–346.44, ensuring the same meanings for key terms across the provisions.

• Penalties for violations

  • A person found guilty of failing to comply with the provisions of sections 346.36 to 346.42 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
  • If a person is convicted a second time or more for violations of 346.36 to 346.42, the offense becomes a felony with possible punishment of up to two years in jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

• Repeal of a prior interpretation provision

  • Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 346.37 subdivision 5, which previously stated that a dispute over the meaning of abuse, cruelty, or neglect would be resolved by an expert opinion, is repealed.

Significant changes to existing law

• Expanded scope: The Act now explicitly covers a wider set of individuals and facilities (including veterinarians and various animal facilities), not just a narrower group.
• Higher penalties: Repeated violations carry felony charges with potential jail time and higher fines, strengthening deterrents against animal maltreatment.
• Removal of expert-opinion interpretation: The prior mechanism that allowed expert opinion to resolve terms like abuse, cruelty, or neglect is removed, changing how disputes about those terms are resolved in practice.

Relevant changes to terminology and interpretation

• Key terms used in the bill include: Pet and Companion Animal Welfare Act, abuse, cruelty, neglect, gross misdemeanor, felony, imprisonment, fine, veterinarians, animal boarding facilities, commercial animal facilities, sections 346.35 to 346.44, section 346.36, section 346.44, and section 346.37 subdivision 5 (repealed).

Relevant Terms

Pet and Companion Animal Welfare Act abuse cruelty neglect gross misdemeanor felony imprisonment fine veterinarians animal boarding facilities commercial animal facilities 346.35 to 346.44 346.36 346.44 346.37 subdivision 5 expert opinion