State of Indiana Domestic Animal Abuse/Neglect Laws

If you see an animal being abused or neglected please call your local sheriff or police and report it. Animal abuse & neglect are covered under Indiana Abuse & Neglect Laws and your County Sheriff or Local Police is responsible for enforcement. Please remember to get the exact address as officials will not respond otherwise.

Apply to all domestic animals.
exerpt
IC 35-46-3-0.5
Definitions

(1) "Abandon" means to desert an animal or to leave the animal permanently in a place without making provision for adequate long term care of the animal. The term does not include leaving an animal in a place that is temporarily vacated for the protection of human life during a disaster.

(2) "Beat" means to unnecessarily or cruelly strike an animal, or to throw the animal against an object causing the animal to suffer severe pain or injury. The term does not include reasonable training or disciplinary techniques.

(3) "Mutilate" means to wound, injure, maim, or disfigure an animal by irreparably damaging the animal's body parts or to render any part of the animal's body useless. The term includes bodily injury involving:

• (A) serious permanent disfigurement;
  
  
• (B) serious temporary disfigurement;
  
  
• (C) permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily part or organ; or
  
  
• (D) a fracture.

(4) "Neglect" means:

• (A) endangering an animal's health by failing to provide or arrange to provide the animal with food or drink, if the animal is dependent upon the person for the provision of food or drink;
  
  
• (B) restraining an animal for more than a brief period in a manner that endangers the animal's life or health by the use of a rope, chain, or tether that:
  
  
  • (i) is less than three (3) times the length of the animal;(3) times the length of the animal;
    
    
  • (ii) is too heavy to permit the animal to move freely; or
    
    
  • (iii) causes the animal to choke;
    
    
• (C) restraining an animal in a manner that seriously endangers the animal's life or health;
  
  
• (D) failing to:
  
  
  • (i) provide reasonable care for; or
    
    
  • (ii) seek veterinary care for; an injury or illness to a dog or cat that seriously endangers the life or health of the dog or cat; or
    
    
• (E) leaving a dog or cat outside and exposed to:
  
  
  • (i) excessive heat without providing the animal with a means of shade from the heat; or
    
    
  • (ii) excessive cold if the animal is not provided with straw or another means of protection from the cold; regardless of whether the animal is restrained or kept in a kennel.

(5) "Torture" means:

• (A) to inflict extreme physical pain or injury on an animal with the intent of increasing or prolonging the animal's pain; or
  
  
• (B) to administer poison to a domestic animal (as defined in section 12(d) of this chapter) or expose a domestic animal to a poisonous substance with the intent that the domestic animal ingest the substance and suffer harm, pain, or physical injury.

*Under no circumstances is it legal for a citizen to inhumanely kill a domestic companion animal, even if it enters their property! (see definitions above)
*Animals may be legally killed only in self defense (dogs that are free-roaming or on private property that have no notices of a dog) -OR- if caught in the act of killing livestock by the livestock, property owner. In both cases, evidence must be presented to determine legality.