§1901. Animal cruelty, abuse or neglect; reporting

1.  Definitions.  As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Animal" means every living, sentient creature not a human being.   [PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

B. "Cruelty, abuse or neglect" means every act, omission or instance of neglect when unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused or permitted.   [PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

C. "Owner" means a person, firm, partnership, association or corporation owning, keeping or harboring an animal.   [PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

D. "Reasonably suspect" means to hold an objectively reasonable suspicion based upon facts that would cause a reasonable person in a like position to draw on that person’s training or experience to suspect animal cruelty, abuse or neglect.   [PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

[PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

2.  Report.  An employee of a state-funded child or adult protective services agency or other social service agency, including those providing mental health services that are funded or licensed by the department, while acting in the employee’s professional capacity or within the scope of the employee’s employment, who has knowledge of or observes an animal that the employee knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of cruelty, abuse or neglect may report the known or reasonably suspected animal cruelty, abuse or neglect to the local animal control officer or to the animal welfare program of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry established pursuant to Title 7, section 3902.

[PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV).]

3.  Duty.  Nothing in this section may be construed to impose a duty to investigate known or reasonably suspected animal cruelty, abuse or neglect.

[PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

4.  Immunity from liability.  A person participating in good faith in reporting under this subchapter is immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result from these actions, including, but not limited to, any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise arise under state or local laws or rules regarding confidentiality of information.

In a proceeding regarding immunity from liability, there is a rebuttable presumption of good faith.

[PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2007, c. 140, §9 (NEW). PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5 (REV).