HB 4725 — Clarifying the disposition of animal subject to animal cruelty treatment.

HB4725WEST HFAVIRGINIA AkersLEGISLATURE andREGULAR YoungSESSION 2-12ENGROSSED #1House revisedWRVBill 3133 Delegate4725 AkersBy andDelegates YoungAkers, movedMartin, toFerrell, amendFunkhouser, the bill by striking everything after the enacting clause and insertingKimble in[Introduced lieuJanuary thereof22, the2026; following:

“ARTICLEreferred 8.to the Committee on the Judiciary] Eng HB 4725 A Bill to amend and reenact §61-8-19 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to cruelty to animals;

creating the felony offense of committing a sexual act with an animal;

creating definitions for the offense of committing a sexual act with an animal;

clarifying the disposition of an animal following a dismissal of criminal charges;

authorizing the court to make certain findings in ordering disposition based upon the protection of the animal;

clarifying the length a time persons convicted of offenses may be subject to prohibitions on possessing animals;

creating penalties;

and creating civil and criminal penalties.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 8.

(a)(1) It is unlawful for any person to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly,(A)recklessly, (A) Mistreat an animal in cruel manner;(B)manner; Abandon an animal;(C) Withhold;(i) Proper sustenance, including food or water;(ii) Shelter that protects from the elements of weather;

or(iii)(B) Medical treatment, necessary to sustain normal health and fitness or to end the suffering of any animal;(D) Abandon an animal to die;(E) Leave an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle when physical injury to or death of the animal is likely to result;(F) Ride an animal when it is physically unfit;(G) Bait or harass an animal for the purpose of making it perform for a person's amusement;(H) Cruelly chain or tether an animal;

or(I)(C) Use,Withhold; train or possess a domesticated animal for the purpose of seizing, detaining or maltreating any other domesticated animal.(2) Any person in violation of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $300 nor more than $2,000 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both.(b)(1) A person who intentionally tortures, or mutilates or maliciously kills an animal, or causes, procures or authorizes any other person to torture, mutilate or maliciously kill an animal, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.

For(i) theProper purposessustenance, ofincluding thisfood subsection,or "torture"water; means an action taken for the primary purpose of inflicting pain.(2) A person who commits a sexual act with an animal is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.

(ii) Shelter that protects from the elements of weather;

or (iii) Medical treatment, necessary to sustain normal health and fitness or to end the suffering of any animal;

(D) Abandon an animal to die;

(E) Leave an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle when physical injury to or death of the animal is likely to result;

(F) Ride an animal when it is physically unfit;

(G) Bait or harass an animal for the purpose of making it perform for a person's amusement;

(H) Cruelly chain or tether an animal;

or Eng HB 4725 (I) Use, train or possess a domesticated animal for the purpose of seizing, detaining or maltreating any other domesticated animal.

(2) Any person in violation of subdivision (1) of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $300 nor more than $2,000 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both.

(b)(1) A person who intentionally tortures, or mutilates or maliciously kills an animal, or causes, procures or authorizes any other person to torture, mutilate or maliciously kill an animal, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.

For the purposes of this subsection, "torture" means an action taken for the primary purpose of inflicting pain.

(2) A person who commits a sexual act with an animal is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.

Provided, That a sexual act with an animal may be proved without evidence of penetration.(c)penetration. A person, other than a licensed veterinarian or a person acting under the direction or with the approval of a licensed veterinarian, who knowingly and willfully administers or causes to be administered to any animal participating in any contest any controlled substance or any other drug for the purpose of altering or otherwise affecting said animal's performance is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $2,000.(d) Any person convicted of a violation of this section forfeits his or her interest in any animal and all interest in the animal vests in the humane society or county pound of the county in which the conviction was rendered and the person is, in addition to any fine imposed, liable for any costs incurred or to be incurred by the humane society or county pound as a result.

(c) A person, other than a licensed veterinarian or a person acting under the direction or with the approval of a licensed veterinarian, who knowingly and willfully administers or causes to be administered to any animal participating in any contest any controlled substance or any other drug for the purpose of altering or otherwise affecting said animal's performance is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $2,000.

(d) Any person convicted of a violation of this section forfeits his or her interest in any animal and all interest in the animal vests in the humane society or county pound of the county in Eng HB 4725 which the conviction was rendered and the person is, in addition to any fine imposed, liable for any costs incurred or to be incurred by the humane society or county pound as a result.

(e) For the purpose of this section, the term "controlled substance" has the same meaning ascribed to it by subsection (d), section one hundred one, article one, chapter sixty-a §60A-1-101 of this code.(f)code. The provisions of this section do not apply to lawful acts of hunting, fishing, trapping or animal training or farm livestock, poultry, gaming fowl or wildlife kept in private or licensed game farms if kept and maintained according to usual and accepted standards of livestock, poultry, gaming fowl or wildlife or game farm production and management, nor to humane use of animals or activities regulated under and in conformity with the provisions of 7 U.S.C.

§2131,(f) etThe seq.,provisions andof thethis regulationssection promulgateddo thereunder,not asapply bothto statuteslawful andacts regulationsof arehunting, infishing, effecttrapping onor theanimal effectivetraining dateor offarm thislivestock, section.(g)poultry, Notwithstandinggaming thefowl provisionsor ofwildlife subsectionkept (a)in ofprivate thisor section,licensed anygame personfarms convictedif ofkept aand secondmaintained oraccording subsequentto violationusual ofand subsectionaccepted (a)standards is guilty of alivestock, misdemeanorpoultry, and,gaming shallfowl beor confinedwildlife inor jailgame forfarm aproduction periodand ofmanagement, notnor lessto thanhumane ninetyuse daysof noranimals moreor thanactivities oneregulated year,under finedand notin lessconformity thanwith $500the norprovisions moreof than7 $3,000,U.S.C. or both.

The§2131, incarcerationet setseq., forthand in this subsection is mandatory unless the provisionsregulations ofpromulgated subsectionthereunder, (h)as ofboth thisstatutes sectionand regulations are compliedin with.(h)(1)effect Notwithstandingon any provision of this code to the contrary,effective nodate person who has been convicted of a violation of the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this sectionsection. may be granted probation until the defendant has undergone a complete psychiatric or psychological evaluation and the court has reviewed the evaluation.

Unless(g) theNotwithstanding defendant is determined by the courtprovisions toof besubsection indigent,(a) he or she is responsible for the cost of thethis evaluation.(2)section, For any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subsection (a) oris (b)guilty of thisa section,misdemeanor theand, courtshall may,be confined in additionjail tofor thea penaltiesperiod providedof innot thisless section,than imposeninety adays requirementnor thatmore hethan orone sheyear, completefined anot programless ofthan anger$500 managementnor interventionmore forthan perpetrators$3,000, ofor animalboth. cruelty.

UnlessThe theincarceration defendantset isforth determinedin bythis thesubsection court to be indigent, he or she is responsiblemandatory forunless the costprovisions of thesubsection program.(i)(h) In addition to any other penalty which can be imposed for a violation of this section,section aare courtcomplied shallwith. prohibit any person so convicted from possessing, owning or residing with any animal or type of animal for a period of five years to life in the discretion of the court following entry of a misdemeanor conviction and fifteen years to life in the discretion of the court following entry of a felony conviction.

A(h)(1) violationNotwithstanding underany provision of this subsectioncode isto the contrary, no person who has been convicted of a misdemeanorviolation punishableof bythe provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section may be granted Eng HB 4725 probation until the defendant has undergone a finecomplete notpsychiatric exceedingor $2,000psychological evaluation and forfeiturethe ofcourt has reviewed the animal.”    AdoptedRejectedevaluation.

Unless the defendant is determined by the court to be indigent, he or she is responsible for the cost of the evaluation.

(2) For any person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the court may, in addition to the penalties provided in this section, impose a requirement that he or she complete a program of anger management intervention for perpetrators of animal cruelty.

Unless the defendant is determined by the court to be indigent, he or she is responsible for the cost of the program.

(i) In addition to any other penalty which can be imposed for a violation of this section, a court shall prohibit any person so convicted from possessing, owning or residing with any animal or type of animal for a period of five years to life in the discretion of the court following entry of a misdemeanor conviction and fifteen years to life in the discretion of the court following entry of a felony conviction.