Different municipalities include different topics in their definitions of cruelty, but most start with this: failure tp provide fresh water, food, and shelter.
Sec. 14:501. - Cruelty to animals.
Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence commits any of the following shall be guilty of cruelty to animals:
(1)Overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, or overworks a living animal.
(2)Tortures, torments, cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, causes unnecessary suffering, maims, mutilates, or kills any living animal whether belonging to himself or another.
(3)Having charge, custody, or possession of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, unjustifiably fails to provide it with proper food, property water, property shelter, proper veterinary care, proper space, proper light, proper confinement, adequate grooming, adequate care, or adequate collars.
(4)Abandons any animal.
(5)Carries, or causes to be carried, a living animal in or upon a vehicle or otherwise, in a cruel or inhumane manner.
(6)Unjustifiably administers any poisonous or noxious drug or substance to any domestic animal or unjustifiably exposes any such drug or substance, with intent that the same shall be taken or swallowed by any domestic animal.
(7)Kills or injures any animal belonging to another person without lawful authority or consent of the owner. Exception: If a person is being actively attacked by an animal, they may kill such animal as a means of self- defense.
(8)Mistreating any living animal by any act or omission whereby unnecessary suffering or unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or death is cause to or permitted upon the animal.
(9)Causes or procures to be done by any person any act enumerated in this section.
(10)Fights, causes or allows to fight any animal or procures to fight, or is a spectator or onlooks at a fight any animal as defined, including birds and/or other fowl.
This section shall not apply to the lawful hunting or trapping of wildlife as provided by law, accepted veterinary practices, accepted livestock and poultry production practices, and activities carried on for scientific or medical research governed by accepted standards. Steel leg hold traps are banned in recognized subdivisions in the parish, except if permitted by the animal control and rescue center, to remove dangerous or nuisance animals and permits are current from any other pertinent agency.
(Ord. No. 9634 § 1, 5-26-93; Ord. No. 12670, § 1, 6-25-03; Ord. No. 15237, § 1, 1-11-12)
Sec. 54-376. - Cruelty to animals.
(a)It is unlawful for any person to commit the crime of cruelty to animals.
(b)Cruelty to animals is the intentional or criminally negligent mistreatment of any animal by any act, or omission whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death is caused to or permitted upon such animal.
(Code 1956, § 42-73)
State Law reference— Similar provisions, R.S. 3:2361 et seq., 14:102 et seq.
§102.1. Cruelty to animals; simple and aggravated
A.(1) Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence commits any of the following shall be guilty of simple cruelty to animals:
(a) Overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, or overworks a living animal.
(b) Torments, cruelly beats, or unjustifiably injures any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another.
(c) Having charge, custody, or possession of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, unjustifiably fails to provide it with proper food, proper drink, proper shelter, or proper veterinary care.
Sec. 14-18. - Cruelty to animals prohibited.
(1)Any person who intentionally or with criminal negligence commits any of the following shall be guilty of simple cruelty to animals:
(a)Overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, or overworks a living animal.
(b)Torments, cruelly beats, or unjustifiably injures any living animal, whether belonging to himself or another.
(c)Having charge, custody, or possession of any animal, either as owner or otherwise, unjustifiably fails to provide it with proper food, proper drink, proper shelter, or proper veterinary care.
(d)Abandons any animal. A person shall not be considered to have abandoned an animal if he delivers to an animal control center an animal which he found running at large. Neither shall a person be considered to have abandoned an animal if he returns community cats as part of the community cat diversion program.
(e)Impounds or confines, or causes to be impounded or confined in a pound or other place, a living animal and fails to supply it during such confinement with proper food, proper drink, and proper shelter. No animal shall be left unattended in a vehicle if it subjects the animal to cruel conditions. An animal control officer, upon a complaint of this nature and in the presence of at least one witness shall be permitted to use all reasonable means, including breaking a window, in order to free a suffering animal in the following circumstances, all of which must be met:
(1)The animal shows physical signs of heat exhaustion, convulsions, or other symptoms which require immediate action by the animal control officer in order to save the animal's life.
(2)The animal control officer receives approval from a supervisor prior to taking the action, provided that a supervisor is readily available and obtaining approval will not seriously impede the rescue of the animal. Prior approval is not necessary if, in the judgment of the animal control officer, the delay in obtaining such approval would jeopardize the life of the animal.
(3)Reasonable effort to contact the owner or driver of the vehicle has been attempted and is unsuccessful.
