An Overview of Animal Cruelty Laws in Massachusetts
It is unlawful for an owner or custodian of an animal:
To fail to provide an animal with:
- Proper food and water
- Shelter or protection from the weather
- Veterinary attention needed to reduce or end suffering from disease or injury
- A sanitary environment
To willfully abandon an animal
To carry or cause an animal to be carried in or on a vehicle in a manner that endangers the animal including transport of an improperly secured animal
To willfully permit an animal to be subjected to unnecessary torture, suffering or cruelty
To subject, cause or procure an animal:
- To be tortured or tormented
- To be cruelly killed, beaten or mutilated
To fail to notify the owner or police after striking a dog or cat with a motor vehicle
To use animals as lure or bait in a cruel or inhuman manner
To transport an animal in the back of a motor vehicle unless animal is properly restrained
To offer or give away any live animal (including goldfish) as a prize in a game of skill or chance
To attend an animal fighting event; to establish or promote an exhibition of animal fighting; or to own, possess, keep or train or breed any animal to fight
To use live vertebrates for experiments or exhibitions in a manner that causes them pain or interferes with their normal health
For more information and links about animal cruelty laws in Massachusetts, visit our webpage on animal cruelty laws.
