Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 76A.djvu/516

–420– -420§ 231. Definitions As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "animal" includes every living creature except a human being; and "cruelty" or "torture" includes every act, omission, or neglect, whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or death is caused or permitted. § 232. Cruelty to animals generally; destruction of abandoned animals (a) Whoever: (1) overdrives, overloads, tortures, cruelly beats or unjustifiably injures, wounds, maims, mutilates, kills, or deprives of necessary food, drink, or shelter, or works when unfit for labor, a wild, tame, or domestic animal, whether belonging to himself or another person: or (2) being the owner or possessor, or having charge or custody, of a m a i m ^, diseased, disabled, or infirm animal, abandons it or leaves it to die in a street, road, or other place— shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned in jail not more than 30 days, or both. (b) A police officer may lawfully destroy or cause to be destroyed any animal found abandoned and not properly cared for, if it appears, in the judgment of two reputable persons called by him to view the animal in his presence, that the animal is injured or diseased beyond recovery for any useful purpose. § 233. Poisoning animals Whoever willfully administers a poison to an animal, the property of another, or maliciously exposes a poisonous substance with the intent that it shall be taken or swallowed by the animal, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than three years, or both. § 234. Instigating fights between animals Whoever: (1) sets on foot, instigates, promotes or carries on a fight between cocks or other birds, or a dog fight, bull fight, or fight between other animals; or (2) does any act as assistant, umpire or principal in furtherance of a fight between any such animals— shall be fined not more than $50 or imprisoned in jail not more than 30 days, or both. § 235. Enforcement by humane society agent Any duly appointed agent of a regularly organized humane society in the Canal Zone, may be commissioned by the proper authorities of the Canal Zone as a special police officer for the enforcement of section 232 of this title and of any other law, regulation or order in force in the Canal Zone for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and when so commissioned shall be vested for that purpose with all the authority of a member of the police force. § 236. Killing of person by vicious animal Whoever, being the owner of a ferocious, vicious or mischievous animal and knowing its propensities, willfully suffers it to go at large, or keeps it without ordinary care, and the animal, while so at large, or while not kept with ordinary care, kills a human being who has taken all the precautions which the circumstances permitted, or which a reasonable person would ordinarily take in the same situation, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than five years, or both.

�