The stated purpose of the Act is to change animal cruelty from a misdemeanor to a felony. However, animal cruelty (mistreatment, killing, abandonment, etc.) is still only a misdemeanor. Ark. Code Ann. 5-62-101. Aggravated animal cruelty (torture) is now a Class D felony. Ark. Code Ann. 5-62-104. The Act changes the prohibition against dog fighting into a prohibition against animal fighting, which is still a first degree Class D felony. Ark. Code Ann. 5-62-120. Watching animal fighting is a second degree Class D felony. Ark. Code Ann. 5-62-120.
The new Act was recently signed into law by Governor Beebe and will be added to the code soon. For the full text of the Act, click here.
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