What is the punishment for Animal abuse in Texas?

Answer 1

According to Texas state laws , animal cruelty is defined as a person who: "(1) tortures an animal; (2) fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, care, or shelter for an animal in the person's custody; (3) abandons unreasonably an animal in the person's custody; (4) transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner; (5) kills, seriously injures, or administers poison to an animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent; (6) causes one animal to fight with another; (7) uses a live animal as a lure in dog race training or in dog coursing on a racetrack; (8) trips a horse; (9) injures an animal, other than cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or goats, belonging to another without legal authority or the owner's effective consent; or (10) seriously overworks an animal."

Sections (2), (3), (4), (9), and (10) are considered to be Class A Misdemeanors and are punishable with a fine of up to $4,000 and/or up to a year in jail. Any third conviction of any of the above offenses becomes a State Jail Felony and is punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment between 180 days and 2 years.

Sections (1), (5), (6), and (8) are also State Jail Felonies and are punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a jail sentence between 180 days to 2 years. A third conviction of any of the above offenses is a Felony of the Third Degree and is punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a prison sentence between 2 and 10 years.

Exemptions are made for certified scientific research, protection of property or persons, fishing, hunting or trapping, wildlife control and animal husbandry.