§ 717b-3a

717B.3A Animal torture — penalties. 1. A person is guilty of animal torture if the person intentionally or knowingly inflicts on an animal severe and prolonged or repeated physical pain that causes the animal’s seriousinjury or death. 2. This section shall not apply to any of the following:a. A person acting to carry out an order issued by a court.b. A veterinarian practicing veterinary medicine as provided in chapter 169.c. A person acting in order to carry out another provision of law which allows the conduct.d. A person taking, hunting, trapping, or fishing for a wild animal as provided in chapter 481A. e. A person acting to protect the person’s property from a wild animal as defined in section 481A.1. f. A person acting to protect a person from bodily harm or death caused by a wild animal as defined in section 481A.1. g. A person acting reasonably to protect the person’s property from damage caused by an unconfined animal. h. A person acting reasonably to protect a person from bodily harm or death caused by an unconfined animal. i. A local authority acting reasonably to euthanize an animal, if at the time of the euthanasia, the owner of the animal is absent or unable to care

dily harm or death caused by an unconfined animal. i. A local authority acting reasonably to euthanize an animal, if at the time of the euthanasia, the owner of the animal is absent or unable to care for the animal, and theanimal is permanently distressed by disease or injury to a degree that would result in severeand prolonged suffering. j. A research facility, as defined in section 162.2, if the research facility has been issued or renewed a valid authorization by the department pursuant to chapter 162, and the researchfacility performs functions within the scope of accepted practices and disciplines associatedwith the research facility. k. An act required to be carried out by a commercial establishment to care for an animal in its possession or under its control as described in section 162.10A, subsection 1, providedthat the commercial establishment complies with applicable standard of care requirementspursuant to subsections 1 and 2 of that section. 3. The juvenile court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in a proceeding concerning a child who is alleged to have committed animal torture, in the manner provided in section232.8.

t section. 3. The juvenile court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in a proceeding concerning a child who is alleged to have committed animal torture, in the manner provided in section232.8. The juvenile court shall not waive jurisdiction in a proceeding concerning such anoffense alleged to have been committed by a child under the age of seventeen. 4. A person who commits animal torture is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor.5. Notwithstanding subsection 4, a person who commits animal torture is guilty of a class 'D' felony if the person has previously been convicted of committing animal abuse pursuantto section 717B.2, animal neglect punishable as a serious misdemeanor or aggravatedmisdemeanor pursuant to section 717B.3, animal torture pursuant to this section, injury toor interference with a police service dog pursuant to section 717B.9, bestiality pursuant tosection 717C.1, or an act involving a contest event prohibited in section 717D.2. 2000 Acts, ch 1152, §3; 2008 Acts, ch 1058, §22; 2020 Acts, ch 1111, §7Referred to in §162.10A, 232.8, 717B.1, 717B.2, 717B.3, 717B.3B Sat Dec 23 12:30:42 2023 Iowa Code 2024, Section 717B.3A (17, 0)