Missouri
Title |
Summary |
|---|---|
| MO - Domestic violence - 455.045. Temporary relief available--ex parte orders | Missouri amended its laws on domestic violence protection orders in 2021 to include the protection of pets. Any ex parte order of protection shall be to protect the petitioner from domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault and may include "[a] temporary order of possession of pets where appropriate." “Pet” is defined as a living creature maintained by a household member for companionship and not for commercial purposes. |
| MO - Dogs - Consolidated Dog Laws | These Missouri statutes comprise the state's dog laws. Among the provisions include laws for impounding loose dogs, licensing, rabies control, and the Animal Care Facilities Act, which regulates commercial breeders/pet shops. |
| MO - Dog Ordinances - Chapter 77. Third Class Cities. | This Missouri statute provides that a city council may tax, restrain and prohibit the running at large of dogs, and provide for their destruction when at large contrary to ordinance, and impose penalties on the owners or keepers thereof. |
| MO - Cruelty - Consolidated Cruelty Statutes | These Missouri statutes comprise the state's anti-cruelty laws. The term "animal" means every living vertebrate except a human being. The provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 do not apply to the care or treatment performed by a licensed veterinarian, bona fide scientific experiments, hunting, fishing, or trapping, publicly funded zoological parks, rodeo practices, and several other listed activities as described in 578.007. A person is guilty of animal neglect when he or she has custody or ownership or an animal and fails to provide adequate care, or when that person knowingly abandons an animal in any place without making provisions for its adequate care. Animal neglect and abandonment is a class C misdemeanor upon first conviction with enhancement to a class B misdemeanor for subsequent convictions. A person is guilty of animal abuse when a person intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed by law, purposely or intentionally causes injury or suffering to an animal, or, having ownership or custody of an animal, knowingly fails to provide adequate care or control which results in substantial harm to the animal. Animal abuse is a class A misdemeanor unless the defendant has previously been found guilty of animal abuse or the suffering involved is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the animal was alive, in which case it is a class E felony. |
| MO - Carthage - Breed - Sec. 4-5.1. Pit bulldogs prohibited. |
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| MO - Cameron - Breed - Sec. 5-102. Keeping of Pit Bull dogs prohibited (repealed 2016) | Cameron, Missouri repealed its ordinance that prohibited the keeping of pit bull dogs on November 21, 2016. Before that, it was unlawful to keep, harbor, own or possess any Pit Bull dog as defined in the previous law. |
| MO - Breeding - Proposition B |
The official ballot title asks voters if Missouri law be amended to (1) require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles; (2) prohibit any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets; and (3) create a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations. |
| MO - Breeder - Chapter 9 - Animal Care Facilities. 30-9.010 - 9.030 | This rule sets forth the standards and requirements for the licensing and operation of animal care facilities in Missouri. For the minimum age to sell or ship a dog or cat, see 30-9020 section (13), subsection (E): "Minimum Age Requirements. No dog or cat shall be delivered by any person to any carrier or intermediate handler for transportation, in commerce, or shall be transported in commerce by any person, except to a registered research facility, unless that dog or cat is at least eight (8) weeks of age and has been weaned." |
| MO - Assistance Animal - Assistance Animal/Guide Dog Laws | The following statutes comprise the state's relevant assistance animal and guide dog laws. |
| Missouri Veterinary Medical Bd. v. Gray |
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