House File 2555 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY BUKTA Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for intact dogs running at large, and providing 2 a penalty. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6224HH 81 5 da/cf/24 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 351.45 INTACT DOGS RUNNING AT 1 2 LARGE AND INFLICTING SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY == PENALTY. 1 3 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 1 4 requires: 1 5 a. "Intact dog" means a dog which has not been sterilized 1 6 by a procedure which permanently destroys the capacity of a 1 7 dog to reproduce, either by the surgical removal or alteration 1 8 of its reproductive organs, or by the injection or ingestion 1 9 of a serum. 1 10 b. "Police service dog" means the same as defined in 1 11 section 717B.9. 1 12 c. "Serious physical injury" means a physical injury that 1 13 creates a substantial risk of death or that causes death, 1 14 serious disfigurement, protracted impairment of health, or 1 15 impairment of the function of any bodily organ, or that 1 16 requires plastic surgery. 1 17 2. If a person who owns an intact dog knowingly allows the 1 18 intact dog to run at large and the intact dog inflicts serious 1 19 physical injury on a person, the person who owns the intact 1 20 dog is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor. 1 21 3. This section does not apply to any of the following: 1 22 a. A police service dog. 1 23 b. A dog that is engaged in taking, hunting, or trapping a 1 24 wild animal as provided in chapter 481A, if all of the 1 25 following apply: 1 26 (1) The intact dog is monitored or supervised by a person. 1 27 (2) The person who monitors or supervises the intact dog 1 28 is lawfully permitted to be on the land for the purpose of 1 29 taking, hunting, or trapping a wild animal. 1 30 (3) The person who monitors or supervises the intact dog 1 31 obtains a written statement by the titleholder or leaseholder 1 32 of the land consenting to the intact dog's presence on the 1 33 land. 1 34 c. An intact dog that is participating in a legitimate 1 35 exercise which is limited to training or participating in a 2 1 field meet or trial, and all of the following apply: 2 2 (1) The legitimate exercise involves a skill associated 2 3 with herding a domestic animal or hunting, including but not 2 4 limited to pointing, retrieving, trailing, or chasing any wild 2 5 animal. 2 6 (2) The intact dog is monitored or supervised by a person. 2 7 (3) The person who monitors or supervises the dog is 2 8 lawfully permitted to be on the land for the purpose of 2 9 conducting the legitimate exercise. 2 10 (4) The person who monitors or supervises the intact dog 2 11 obtains a written statement by the titleholder or leaseholder 2 12 of the land consenting to the intact dog's presence on the 2 13 land. 2 14 d. The intact dog is confined to an area which is 2 15 designated by the state or a political subdivision as reserved 2 16 for dogs to play, if the intact dog is monitored or supervised 2 17 by a person. 2 18 EXPLANATION 2 19 This bill applies to an intact dog that runs at large. An 2 20 intact dog is a dog that has not been sterilized (i.e., spayed 2 21 or neutered). If a person who owns an intact dog knowingly 2 22 allows the intact dog to run at large and the intact dog 2 23 causes serious physical injury to another person, the owner is 2 24 guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor. An aggravated 2 25 misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two 2 26 years and a fine of at least $500 but not more than $5,000. 2 27 The bill provides a number of exceptions for a police service 2 28 dog; an intact dog that is engaged in taking, hunting, or 2 29 trapping a wild animal; an intact dog that is participating in 2 30 a legitimate exercise which is limited to training or 2 31 participating in a field meet or trial; or an intact dog that 2 32 is confined to an area reserved for dogs to play. In all 2 33 cases, the intact dog must be monitored or supervised by a 2 34 person. In the case of a dog that is hunting or participating 2 35 in a legitimate exercise, the person who is monitoring or 3 1 supervising the intact dog must obtain written permission from 3 2 the person who owns or leases the land. 3 3 LSB 6224HH 81 3 4 da:nh/cf/24