Report Title:

Animal Cruelty; Snares; Banned

Description:

Bans the use of snares in the capture of animals except for use by state, federal, or county officials in protecting public health and safety.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	278
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO ANIMAL CRUELTY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 711-1109, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§711-1109  Cruelty to animals.  (1)  A person commits the offense of cruelty to animals if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly:

    (a)   Overdrives, overloads, tortures, torments, cruelly beats or starves any animal, or causes or procures the overdriving, overloading, torture, torment, cruel beating or starving of any animal, or deprives a pet animal of necessary sustenance or causes such deprivation;

    (b)   Mutilates, poisons, or kills without need any animal other than insects, vermin, or other pests;

    (c)   Keeps, uses, or in any way is connected with or interested in the management of, or receives money for the admission of any person to, any place kept or used for the purpose of fighting or baiting any bull, bear, dog, cock, or other animal, and every person who encourages, aids, or assists therein, or who permits or suffers any place to be so kept or used;

    (d)   Carries or causes to be carried, in or upon any vehicle or other conveyance, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner; [or]

(e) Uses, sets, maintains, or tends any body-gripping traps including:

(i) Steel-jawed leghold traps;

(ii) Padded jaw leghold traps;

(iii) Conibear traps; and

(iv) Snares, also referred to as cable restraints;

except when used by federal, state, or county officials in the performance of their duties to protect the health and welfare of the public; or

[(e)] (f)  Assists another in the commission of any act of cruelty to any animal.

     (2)  Subsection (1)(a), (b), (d), (e), (f), and the following subsection (3) are not applicable to accepted veterinary practices and to activities carried on for scientific research governed by standards of accepted educational or medicinal practices.

     (3)  Whenever any domestic animal is so severely injured that there is no reasonable probability that its life or usefulness can be saved, the animal may be immediately destroyed.

     (4)  Cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor."

     SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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