Humane Protection of Animals Act (Massachusetts)

The Humane Protection of Animals Act (S.1142/H.1718) contains a collection of provisions that strengthen and clarify Massachusetts’ animal cruelty laws. It includes provisions to give law enforcement, animal control officers, judges, and district attorneys more options when it comes to addressing situations involving animals before they become life-threatening and then provide pre- and post-conviction options during trial and sentencing.

Specifically, this legislation includes provisions to:

• Prohibit the sale of puppies and kitties under eight weeks of age as well as the roadside sale of animals;
• Clarify that dogs and cats are not considered livestock under the law;
• Expand the use of citations for the keeping of animals in cruel conditions;
• Create a humane protection order to ensure animals are safe without requiring a felony charge;
• Prevent recidivism, inform an animal cruelty offender’s sentencing, and promote rehabilitation, facilitate mental health evaluations and, if necessary, a treatment program to help address the underlying causative factors for the violation; and
• Prevent animal abusers convicted of serious animal cruelty crimes from owning or adopting animals for a period of time deemed reasonable by the court, among other provisions.