MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2018 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division A

By: Senator(s) Dearing, Hudson, Kirby, Carmichael, Horhn, Butler, Witherspoon, Jackson (11th), Frazier, Jordan, Burton, Seymour, Doty, Barnett, Polk, Chassaniol, Younger, McMahan, Hill, Parker, Parks, Blackwell

Senate Bill 2934

(As Sent to Governor)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-41-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE OFFENSE OF AND PUNISHMENT FOR DOG FIGHTING AND TO CLARIFY THE DEFINITION OF DOG FIGHTING PARAPHERNALIA; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

     SECTION 1.  Section 97-41-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     97-41-19.  (1)  If any person (a) shall sponsor, promote, stage or conduct a fight or fighting match between dogs, or (b) shall wager or bet, promote or encourage the wagering or betting of any money or other valuable thing upon any such fight or upon the result thereof, or (c) shall own or possess a dog with the intent to * * * wilfully willfully enter it or to participate in any such fight, or (d) shall train or transport a dog for the purposes of participation in any such fight, * * * he or (e) shall own, possess, buy, sell, transfer, or manufacture paraphernalia for the purpose of engaging in or otherwise promoting or facilitating such fight, the person shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction for a first offense, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not less than one (1) nor more than * * * three (3) five (5) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

Upon conviction for a second or subsequent offense, the person shall be guilty of a felony and punished by a fine of not less than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), nor more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not less than three (3) years, nor more than ten (10) years, or both.

     (2)  If any person shall be present, as a spectator, at any location where preparations are being made for an exhibition of a fight between dogs with the intent to be present at such preparations, or if any person shall be present at an exhibition of a fight between dogs with the intent to be present at such exhibition, he shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court.

     (3)  Any law enforcement officer making an arrest under subsection (1) of this section may lawfully take possession of * * * all dogs and all paraphernalia, implements, equipment or other property, including dogs, used in violation of subsection (1) of this section.  Such officer shall file with the circuit court of the county within which the alleged violation occurred an affidavit stating therein (a) the name of the person charged, (b) a description of the property taken, (c) the time and place of the taking, (d) the name of the person who claims to own such property, if known, and (e) that the affiant has reason to believe, stating the ground of such belief, that the property taken was used in such violation.  He shall thereupon deliver the property to such court which shall, by order in writing, place such * * * dogs, paraphernalia, implements, equipment, or other property, including dogs, in the custody of * * * a licensed veterinarian, the local humane society or other animal welfare the law enforcement agency, or * * * other suitable custodian, its designee.  All paraphernalia, implements, equipment, or other property, excluding dogs forfeited under subsection (4) of this section, are to be kept by such custodian until the conviction or final discharge of the accused, and shall then send a copy of such order without delay to the district attorney of the county.  The custodian named and designated in such order shall immediately assume the custody of such property and shall retain same, subject to order of the court.

 * * * Upon the certification of a licensed veterinarian or officer of the humane society or animal welfare agency that, in his professional judgment, a dog which has been seized is not likely to survive the final disposition of the charges or that, by reason of the physical condition of the dog, it should be humanely euthanized before such time, the court may order the dog humanely euthanized.  The court shall make its finding of whether to issue such an order within seven (7) days from the certification by the veterinarian or officer of the humane society or animal welfare agency.  The owner of a dog which is euthanized without an order of the court with such certification of a licensed veterinarian or officer of the humane society or other animal welfare agency shall have a right of action for damages against the department or agency by which the arresting or seizing officer is employed.  Upon conviction of the person charged with a violation of subsection (1) of this section, all dogs seized shall be adjudged by the court to be forfeited and the court shall order a humane disposition of the same.  In no event shall the court order the dog to be euthanized without the certification of a licensed veterinarian or officer of the humane society or other animal welfare agency that, in his judgment, the dog is not likely to survive or that, by reason of its physical condition, the dog should be humanely euthanized.  In the event of the acquittal or final discharge without conviction of the accused, the court shall direct the delivery of the property so held in custody to the owner thereof.  All reasonable expenses incurred by the custodian of seized dogs and property shall be charged as costs of court, to be taxed against the owner or county in the discretion of the court.

     (4)  Within ten (10) days of the seizure of dogs under this section, the owner of the dogs may request a hearing to determine the disposition of the dogs.  The court shall follow the procedure and guidelines as set out in Section 97-41-2(2) through (8) in conducting the hearing and determining the disposition of the dogs.  Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall prohibit any of the following:

          (a)  The use of dogs in the management of livestock, by the owner of such livestock or other persons in lawful custody thereof;

          (b)  The use of dogs in lawful hunting; and

          (c)  The training of dogs for any purpose not prohibited by law.

(5)  For purposes of this section, the term "paraphernalia" means equipment, products, implements and materials of any kind that are used, intended for use, or designed for use in the training, preparation, conditioning, or furtherance of dog fighting, and includes, but is not limited to, the following: breaking sticks, cat mills, treadmills, fighting pits, spring poles, unprescribed veterinary medicine, or treatment supplies.

In determining whether an object is paraphernalia, a court shall consider any prior convictions under federal or state law relating to animal fighting, the proximity of the object in time and space to the direct violation of this section, direct or circumstantial evidence of the intent of the person to deliver the object to persons whom he or she knows or should reasonably know intends to use the object to facilitate a violation of this section, oral or written instructions provided with or in the vicinity of the object concerning its use, descriptive materials accompanying the object which explain or depict its use, and any other relevant factors.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2018.

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