Pennsylvania § 5533 Cruelty to animal

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 5533 — Cruelty to animal

Pennsylvania § 5533

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES

PartPART II

Ch. 55RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND

Subch.CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

This text of Pennsylvania § 5533 (Cruelty to animal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5533 (2026).

Text

(a)Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly illtreats, overloads, beats, abandons or abuses an animal.

(b)Grading.--

(1)Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a violation of this section is a summary offense.

(2)If the violation causes bodily injury to the animal or places the animal at imminent risk of serious bodily injury, a violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly illtreats, overloads, beats, abandons or abuses an animal.

(b) Grading.--

(1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a violation of this section is a summary offense.

(2) If the violation causes bodily injury to the animal or places the animal at imminent risk of serious bodily injury, a violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree.

Legislative History

Cross References.Section 5533 is referred to in sections 5534, 5542, 5560, 9122.3 of this title; section 5329 of Title 23 (Domestic Relations); section 6138 of Title 61 (Prisons and Parole).