Maine § 7 §3972 Unlawful use of animals

Maine Statutes

§ 7 §3972 — Unlawful use of animals

Maine § 7 §3972

Title 7AGRICULTURE AND ANIMALS

Part 9ANIMAL WELFARE

Ch. 731MISTREATMENT OF ANIMALS

This text of Maine § 7 §3972 (Unlawful use of animals) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, § 7 §3972 (2026).

Text

1.Unlawful use of animals. It is unlawful for any person to:

2.Violation. Any person who makes unlawful use of animals contrary to this section commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture not to exceed $100 may be adjudged. For the purposes of this section, "animal" does not include lobsters or shellfish.

3.Construction. Nothing in this section may be construed to apply to any animal to be used or raised for agriculture, aquaculture or fishing, to any dog to be used or raised for hunting or exhibition purposes, by persons with proper facilities otherwise authorized by law, or to games using animals in which the participating animal is not caused, directly or indirectly, to perform any act that deviates from the animal's natural behavior provided that the game is conducted by an edu

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1.
Unlawful use of animals.
It is unlawful for any person to:
2.
Violation.
Any person who makes unlawful use of animals contrary to this section commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture not to exceed $100 may be adjudged. For the purposes of this section, "animal" does not include lobsters or shellfish.
3.
Construction.
Nothing in this section may be construed to apply to any animal to be used or raised for agriculture, aquaculture or fishing, to any dog to be used or raised for hunting or exhibition purposes, by persons with proper facilities otherwise authorized by law, or to games using animals in which the participating animal is not caused, directly or indirectly, to perform any act that deviates from the animal's natural behavior provided that the game is conducted by an educational or cultural institution or other nonprofit service organization.
4.
Exception.
Notwithstanding subsection 1, paragraph C, livestock may be raffled by charitable organizations in accordance with Title 17, section 1837‑A for fund-raising purposes. For the purposes of this section, "charitable organization" has the same meaning as defined in Title 9, section 5003, subsection 1. Proceeds from a raffle under this subsection must be used for charitable purposes.

Legislative History

PL 1987, c. 383, §3 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 154, §1 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 342, §2 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 144, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 690, §§39-41 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 487, Pt. B, §1 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 223, §§12-14 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 131, §1 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. KKKKK, §1 (AMD).