Acts and facilities to which section 574.130 and sections 578.005 to 578.023 do not apply
Missouri's animal cruelty and animal abuse laws do not apply to certain activities. Those activities include: a licensed vet treating animals, real scientific experiments, legal hunting and fishing, zoos that follow federal law, accepted rodeo practices, an owner choosing to have their animal killed, officials humanely putting down animals, normal farm animal care, a person killing an animal that is attacking someone or a farm animal (but not a police animal on duty), killing household or garden pests, and approved dog field trials and hunting practices.
578.007. Acts and facilities to which section 574.130 and sections 578.005 to 578.023 do not apply. — The of section 574.130 and sections 578.005 to 578.023 shall not apply to:
(1) Care or treatment performed by a within the provisions of chapter 340;
(2) scientific experiments;
(3) Hunting, fishing, or trapping as allowed by chapter 252, including all practices and privileges as allowed under the ;
(4) Facilities and publicly funded zoological parks currently in with the federal "Animal Welfare Act" as amended;
(5) practices currently accepted by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association;
(6) The killing of an animal by the owner thereof, the of such owner, or by a at the request of the owner thereof;
(7) The lawful, of an animal by an , the of an , a veterinarian, or law or health official;
(8) With respect to farm animals, normal or accepted practices of ;
(9) The killing of an animal by any person at any time if such animal is outside of the owned or rented property of the owner or of such animal and the animal is injuring any person or farm animal, but this shall not include the killing or injuring of a law enforcement animal while working;
(10) The killing of house or garden pests; or
(11) , training and hunting practices as accepted by the Professional Houndsmen of Missouri.
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Source & history notes
(L. 1983 S.B. 211 § 2, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332, A.L. 2024 S.B. 754, et al.)
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.