§ 13A-12-6 — Hog and Canine Fighting

(a) As used in this section, the term “hog” shall mean a pig, swine, or boar.
(b) The crime of hog and canine fighting occurs when a person organizes or conducts any commercial or private event, commonly referred to as a “catch,” wherein there is a display of combat or fighting between one or more domestic or feral canines and feral or domestic hogs and in which it is intended or reasonably foreseeable that the canines or hogs would be injured, maimed, mutilated, or killed.
(c) The crime of hog and canine fighting occurs when a person intentionally does any of the following for the purpose of organizing, conducting, or financially or materially supporting any event as provided in subsection (b):
(1) Finance, commercially advertise, sell admission tickets, or employ persons.
(2) Own, manage, or operate any facility or property.
(3) Supply, breed, train, or keep canines or hogs.
(4) Knowingly purchase tickets of admission.
(d) This section shall not apply to the lawful hunting of hogs with canines or the use of canines for the management, farming, or herding of hogs which are livestock or the private training of canines for the purposes enumerated in this subsection provided that such training is conducted in the field and is not in violation of this section.
(e) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor upon conviction for a first offense. A second or subsequent violation is a Class C felony. After a first violation, a judge shall inform the defendant of the enhanced penalty upon a second or subsequent violation.

Legislative History

(Act 2006-353, p. 936, §1.)