This chart, updated in 2014, lists the state laws concerning dog fighting. To date, all states have enacted laws that make actively participating in dog fighting a felony. Several states still regard being a spectator at a fight as a misdemeanor.
|
FEDERAL & STATE DOGFIGHTING STATUTES |
||||||
Jurisdiction |
STATUTORY CITATION |
HIGHEST PUNISHMENT: FELONY orMISDEMEANORF = Felony M = Misdemeanor |
PUNISHMENT FOR KEEPING FIGHTING DOG/INSTIGATING |
MAXIMUM FINE FOR KEEPING/INSTIGATING (if listed in statute) |
SPECTATOR PROVISION |
KEEP/OWN/POSSESSPROVISION |
|
Federal Animal Welfare Act |
7 USCA § 2156 | Whoever violates subsection (a)(1), (b), (c), or (e) of 7 USCA § 2156 shall be fined under 18 U.S.C.A. § 3571, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, for each violation- 18 USCA § 49 |
|
Attending an animal fighting venture: shall be fined under 18 U.S.C.A. § 3571, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both - 18 USCA § 49
Causing an individual who has not attained the age of 16 to attend an animal fighting venture: shall be fined under under 18 U.S.C.A. § 3571, imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, for each violation. - 18 USCA § 49 |
||
|
Alabama |
F
|
Class C felony |
Class C felony |
Class C felony |
||
|
Alaska |
|
F
|
Class C felony |
A violation for the first offense,
A class B misdemeanor for the second offense,
A class A misdemeanor for the third and each subsequent offense. |
Class C felony |
|
|
Arizona |
AZ ST § 13-2910.01 & AZ ST § 13-2910.02
|
F
|
Class 5 felony |
Class 6 felony |
Class 5 felony |
|
|
Arkansas |
|
F
|
Class D felony |
Class A misdemeanor |
Class D felony |
|
|
California |
|
F |
Felony with imprisonment of 16 months or 2-3 years |
$50,000 |
An offense punishable by imprisonment in a county jail up to 1 year, or by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or by both |
Felony |
|
Colorado |
|
F
|
Class 5 felony for 1st offense
Class 4 felony for 2nd or subsequent offenses |
1st offense: up to $1,000 2nd or subsequent: up to $5,000 |
Class 5 felony |
Class 5 felony |
|
Connecticut |
|
F |
Class D Felony |
|
Class D Felony |
Class D Felony |
|
Delaware |
F |
Class E felony |
|
Class F felony |
Class E felony |
|
|
Florida |
F
|
Third degree felony |
Third degree felony |
Third degree felony |
||
|
Georgia |
F |
1st offense: felony with not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years imprisonment.
2nd or subsequent: 1- 10 years |
1st offense: not less than $5,000
2nd or subsequent: not less than $15,000 |
On a second conviction, such person shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment of 1- 5 years, a fine of $5,000.00 or more, or both On a third or subsequent conviction, such person shall be punished by imprisonment of 1- 10 years, a fine of $15,000.00 or more, or both |
Felony |
|
|
Hawaii |
F
|
Class B felony |
Class C Felony
|
Class B felony |
||
|
Idaho |
F |
1st offense: 6 months jail
2nd offense: 9 months jail
3rd or subsequent: 12 months jail |
1st offense: not less than $100 nor more than $5,000 2nd offense: not less than $200 nor more than $7,000 3rd or subsequent: not less than $500 nor more than $9,000 |
A misdemeanor
|
Felony |
|
|
Illinois |
F
|
1st offense: Class 4 felony
2nd or subsequent: Class 3 felony
Located within 1,000 of a place likely to contain children: Class 3 Felony
Second or subsequent offense located within 1,000 of a near a place likely to contain children: Class 2 Felony
|
Up to $50,000 |
Class 4 felony for a first violation. Cass 3 felony for a second or subsequent violation. If a person under 13 years of age is present, the parent, legal guardian, or other person who is 18 years of age or older is guilty of a Class 3 felony for a first violation and a Class 2 felony for a second or subsequent violation. |
Class 3 felony and may be fined up to $50,000 |
|
|
Indiana |
F
|
Level 6 felony |
Class A misdemeanor. if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this chapter, the offense is a Level 6 felony |
Level 6 felony |
||
|
Iowa |
F
|
Class D felony |
An aggravated misdemeanor for the first offense. A class “D” felony for a second or subsequent offense. |
Class D felony |
||
|
Kansas |
F
|
Level 10 non-person felony |
Class B nonperson misdemeanor |
Level 10 non-person felony |
||
|
Kentucky |
F
|
Class D felony |
Class A misdemeanor |
Class D felony |
||
|
Louisiana |
F |
Felony - not less than 1 year nor more than 10 years imprisonment |
Not less than $1,000 to $25,000 |
Felony |
Felony |
|
|
Maine |
F |
Class C crime
|
Fine of not less than $500 in addition to other penalties imposed |
Class D crime |
Class C crime |
|
|
Maryland |
F |
Felony up to 3 years imprisonment |
Up to $5,000 |
A misdemeanor subject to up to 1 year in prison, a fine not exceeding $2,500, or both |
Felony |
|
|
Massachusetts |
§ 95 |
F |
Up to 5 years imprisonment |
Up to $2,500 |
Punished by by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment in the state prison up to 5 years, imprisonment in the house of correction up to 2½ years, or by both such fine and imprisonment. |
Up to 5 years in a state prison, up to a year 1 year in the house of correction, or by a fine of up to $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment |
|
Michigan |
F |
Felony up to 4 years imprisonment |
Not less than $5,000 to $50,000 |
A fine of not less than $1,000.00 or more than $5,000.00 Not less than 250 or more than 500 hours of community service. |
Felony |
|
|
Minnesota |
F |
Felony |
A gross misdemeanor |
Felony |
||
|
Mississippi |
F |
Felony of not less than 1 - 3 years imprisonment |
Not less than 1,000 to $5,000 |
Felony punished by a fine $500- $5,000.00, by imprisonment up to a year, or by both |
Felony |
|
|
Missouri |
F
|
Class D felony |
Class A misdemeanor |
Class D felony |
||
|
Montana |
F |
Felony of not less than 1 year to 5 years |
Up to $5,000 |
|
Felony |
|
|
Nebraska |
F |
Class IV felony |
|
Class IV felony |
Class IV felony |
|
|
Nevada |
F
|
For a first offense, a category E felony For a second or subsequent offense, a category D felony |
For a first offense, a gross misdemeanor. For a second offense, or subsequent offense, a category E felony |
For a first offense, a category E felony For a second or subsequent offense, a category D felony |
||
|
New Hampshire |
F
|
Class B felony |
|
Class B felony |
Class B felony |
|
|
New Jersey |
F
|
3rd degree felony |
|
3rd degree felony |
3rd degree felony |
|
|
New Mexico |
F
|
4th degree felony |
|
4th degree felony |
4th degree felony |
|
|
New York |
F |
Felony up to 4 years |
Up to $25,000 |
Class B misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for a period not to exceed three months, or by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
|
A misdemeanor punishable up to a year in prison, by up to $15,000, or by both |
|
|
North Carolina |
F
|
Class H felony |
|
Class H felony |
Class H felony |
|
|
North Dakota |
36-21.1-07 |
F
|
Class C felony
|
|
Class A misdemeanor |
Class C felony |
|
Ohio |
F
|
A felony of the fourth degree for a first offense A felony of the third degree on each subsequent offense.
|
A felony of the fourth degree for a first offense A felony of the third degree on each subsequent offense |
A felony of the fourth degree for a first offense A felony of the third degree on each subsequent offense |
||
|
Oklahoma |
21 Okl.St.Ann.§ 1693- §1699.2 |
F |
Felony punishable by imprisonment not less than 1 year up to 10 years |
Not less than $2,000 up to $25,000 |
A misdemeanor |
Felony punishable by imprisonment not less than 1 year up to 10 years |
|
Oregon |
F
|
Class C felony |
|
Class C felony |
Class C felony |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
F
|
Felony of the 3rd degree |
|
Felony of the 3rd degree |
Felony of the 3rd degree |
|
|
Rhode Island |
F |
Felony with up to 2 years imprisonment for 1st and subsequent offenses. |
1st offense: not exceeding $1,000
2nd or subsequent: not less than $1,000 to $5,000 |
Fined up to $1,500, imprisoned for up to 2 years, or both. |
Fined up to $1,000 and/or be imprisoned up to 2 years for the first offense, For any subsequent offense, fined between $1,000 - $5,000, be imprisoned up to 2 years, or both |
|
|
South Carolina |
F
|
Felony with up to 5 years imprisonment |
Up to $5,000 |
First conviction, a misdemeanor punished by a fine of $500, imprisonment up to 6 months, or both, For a second offense, a misdemeanor punished by a fine of $1,000, imprisonment for 1 year, or both. Third or subsequent offense, a felony that must be punished by a fine of $5,000, imprisonment for 5 years, or both |
Felony with up to 5 years imprisonment
Up to $5,000 |
|
|
South Dakota |
F
|
Class 6 felony |
|
Class 1 misdemeanor |
Class 6 felony |
|
|
Tennessee |
F
|
Class E felony |
Class C misdemeanor |
Class E felony |
||
|
Texas |
F |
State jail felony |
Class A misdemeanor |
Class A misdemeanor |
||
|
Utah |
F
|
3rd degree felony |
Up to $25,000 |
Class B misdemeanor. |
3rd degree felony
Up to $25,000 |
|
|
Vermont |
F |
Felony up to 5 years |
Up to $5,000 |
Felony, up to 5 years in prison, or a fine up to $5,000.00, or both. |
Felony, up to 5 years in prison, or a fine up to $5,000.00, or both. |
|
|
Virginia |
F
|
Class 6 felony |
Class 6 felony |
Class 6 felony |
||
|
Washington |
F
|
Class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. |
|
Class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. |
Class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021. |
|
|
West Virginia |
F |
Felony with imprisonment of not less than 1 year to 5 years |
Not less than $1,000 to $5,000 |
A misdemeanor punished by a be fine $100-$1,000, or confined in the county or regional jail up to a year, or both. |
|
|
|
Wisconsin |
F
|
Class I for 1st offense
Class H for 2nd or subsequent offense |
|
Class A misdemeanor |
Class I for 1st offense
Class H for 2nd or subsequent offense |
|
|
Wyoming |
F |
Felony with up to 2 years imprisonment |
Not more than $5,000 |
A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment up to 6 months, a fine of up to $750 or both Subsequent offense is a high misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to $5,000.00, or both. |
Felony with up to 2 years imprisonment
Not more than $5,000 |
|