Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-111
Section 459-602 - Dogs used for law enforcement(a) Illegal to taunt law enforcement dogs.-- It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully and maliciously taunt, torment, tease, beat, kick or strike any dog, including any search and rescue or detection dogs, used by any municipal, county or State police or sheriff's department or agency, fire department or agency or handler under the supervision of such department or agency, in the performance of the functions or duties of such department or agency or to commit any of the stated acts in the course of interfering with any such dog used by the department or agency or any member or supervised handler thereof in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency or of such officer or member or supervised handler. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the third degree.(b) Illegal to torture certain dogs.--It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill any dog, including any search and rescue or detection dog, used by any municipal, county or State police or sheriff's department or agency, fire department or agency or handler under the supervision of such department or agency, in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency or to commit any of the stated acts in the course of interfering with any such dog used by the department or agency or any member or supervised handler thereof in the performance of any of the functions or duties of the department or agency or of such officer or member or supervised handler. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subsection commits a felony of the second degree.(c) Illegal to deny facilities or service due to dog use.-- It shall be unlawful for the proprietor, manager or employee of a theater, hotel, motel, restaurant or other place of entertainment, amusement or accommodation to refuse, withhold from or deny to any person, due to the use of a working police dog, detection dog or search and rescue dog used by any State or county or municipal police or sheriff's department or agency, fire department, search and rescue unit or agency or handler under the supervision of those departments, either directly or indirectly, any of the accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges of the theater, hotel, motel, restaurant or other place of public entertainment, amusement or accommodation. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this subsection commits a misdemeanor of the third degree.(d) Quarantine of certain dogs not required.-- Quarantine of dogs as required by law shall not apply to dogs owned by any municipal or State police department or agency when such dogs are under the direct supervision and care of a police officer and subject to routine veterinary care.Amended by P.L. 998 2014 No. 110, § 1, eff. 8/31/2014.1982, Dec. 7, P.L. 784, No. 225, art. VI, § 602, effective Jan. 1, 1983. Amended 1990, May 31, P.L. 211, No. 45, § 1, effective in 60 days; 1996, Dec. 11, P.L. 943, No. 151, § 15, effective in 60 days; 2008, Oct. 9, P.L. 1450, No. 119, § 16.2, effective in 60 days [Dec. 8, 2008].