PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 3772, 4030               PRINTER'S NO. 4327 

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIAHOUSE BILL No. 2532 Session of 2008       

INTRODUCED BY CALTAGIRONE, SHIMKUS, SANTONI, ADOLPH, BELFANTI, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BRENNAN, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CARROLL, CASORIO, CIVERA, CRUZ, DALEY, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GALLOWAY, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARPER, JAMES, W. KELLER, KILLION, KOTIK, KULA, LENTZ, MAHER, MANDERINO, MARSHALL, MELIO, MOYER, MUSTIO, D. O'BRIEN, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PAYTON, PRESTON, RAYMOND, READSHAW, ROCK, RUBLEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, M. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STURLA, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, TRUE, WALKO, WATSON, J. WHITE, MICOZZIE, MAHONEY, YOUNGBLOOD, COHEN, DeLUCA, McCALL, EACHUS, HARKINS, HARHAI, McILVAINE SMITH, GINGRICH, SAMUELSON, DALLY, MANN, CONKLIN, THOMAS, SHAPIRO, PETRONE, HORNAMAN, R. TAYLOR, KORTZ, SAINATO, VULAKOVICH AND LEACH, MAY 14, 2008        

AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008

AN ACT     

1  Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania    

2     Consolidated Statutes, further providing for cruelty to    

3     animals.     

4     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania    

5  hereby enacts as follows:    

6     Section 1.  Section 5511(h) and (h.1) of Title 18 of the    

7  Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended and the section    

8  is amended by adding a subsection to read:    

9  § 5511.  Cruelty to animals.   

10     * * *   

11     (h)  [Cropping ears of dog] SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS; prima facie   

12  evidence of violation.--      

1         (1)  (i)  A person commits a summary offense if he crops    

2         or cuts off, or causes or procures to be cropped or cut    

3         off, the whole[,] or part of the ear or ears of a dog [or    

4         shows or exhibits or procures the showing or exhibition    

5         of any dog whose ear is or ears are cropped or cut off,    

6         in whole or in part, unless the person showing [such] the    

7         dog has in his possession either a certificate of    

8         veterinarian stating that [such] the cropping was done by    

9         the veterinarian or a certificate of registration from a   

10         county treasurer[,] showing that [such] the dog was cut   

11         or cropped before this section became effective.]   

12             (ii)  The provisions of this section shall not   

13         prevent a veterinarian or a person for whom it is not otherwise a violation of act of the December 27, 1974 (P.L.995, No.326), known as the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, working under the immediate supervision of a veterinarian from cutting or cropping the whole   

14         or part of the ear or ears of a dog when [such] the dog   

15         is anesthetized[,] and shall not prevent any person from   

16         causing or procuring [such] the cutting or cropping of a   

17         dog's ear or ears by a veterinarian or other person authorized by this paragraph.   

18             (iii)  The possession by any person of a dog with an   

19         ear or ears cut off or cropped and with the wound   

20         resulting therefrom unhealed, or any [such] such dog being   

21         found in the charge or custody of any person or confined   

22         upon the premises owned by or under the control of any   

23         person, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of   

24         this subsection by [such] the person except as provided   

25         for in this subsection.  (iv)  A person residing in or doing business in the Commonwealth who procures the cutting or cropping of the whole or part of an ear of a dog shall record the procedure including, but not limited to the name of the person performing the procedure, his or her qualification to perform the procedure, and the date and location at which it was performed.  The record shall be kept as long as the dog is in his or her possession and shall be transferred with the dog.    26     [The owner of any dog whose ear or ears have been cut off or   

27  cropped before this section became effective may, if a resident   

28  of this Commonwealth, register such dog with the treasurer of   

29  the county where he resides, and if a nonresident of this   

30  Commonwealth, with the treasurer of any county of this