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