Pennsylvania § 5548 Police animals

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 5548 — Police animals

Pennsylvania § 5548

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES

PartPART II

Ch. 55RIOT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND

Subch.CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

This text of Pennsylvania § 5548 (Police animals) 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. § 5548 (2026).

Text

(a)Illegal to taunt police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally or knowingly taunt, torment, tease, beat, kick or strike a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.

(b)Illegal to torture or kill police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to:

(1)Intentionally or knowingly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a felony of the second degree.

(2)Recklessly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree. (b.1) Illegal to torture or kill police animals during perpetration of felony.-

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(a) Illegal to taunt police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally or knowingly taunt, torment, tease, beat, kick or strike a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.

(b) Illegal to torture or kill police animals.--It shall be unlawful for a person to:

(1) Intentionally or knowingly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a felony of the second degree.

(2) Recklessly torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal. A person who violates the provisions of this paragraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(b.1) Illegal to torture or kill police animals during perpetration of felony.--It shall be unlawful for a person to torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill a police animal while engaged as a principal or an accomplice in the perpetration of a felony. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.

(c) Restitution.--In a case in which a defendant is convicted of a violation of subsection (a), (b) or (b.1), the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution to the agency or individual owning the animal for veterinary bills, for replacement costs of the animal if it is disabled or killed and for the salary of the animal's handler for the period of time the handler's services are lost to the agency.