Maryland
Displaying 11 - 20 of 59
Title |
Summary |
|---|---|
| MD - Assistance Animal - Assistance Animal/Guide Dog Laws | The following statutes comprise Maryland's relevant assistance animal/guide dog laws. |
| MD - Bite - Maryland Dangerous Dog Laws | This Maryland statute outlines what is a "Dangerous dog." As defined by statute, it is a dog that, without provocation, has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person, or it is a potentially dangerous dog that bites a person, when not on its owner's real property, kills or inflicts severe injury on a domestic animal, or attacks without provocation. An owner of a dangerous dog must keep the dog securely enclosed on his or her property or must muzzle and restrain the dog. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $2,500. |
| MD - Courthouse dog - § 9-501. Court Dog Program | This statute, enacted in 2020, creates a Court Dog Program for Maryland for participating counties. The program functions in a circuit court that participates in the Program and provides a facility dog or therapy dog to a child witness in the circuit court proceeding or other related court process, meeting, or interview in the State. It also operates in a circuit court or District Court that offers a veterans treatment court program where it provides a facility dog or therapy dog to a veteran participating in a veterans treatment court proceeding or other related court process or meeting in the State. |
| MD - Cruelty - Consolidated Cruelty Statutes | This Maryland statutory section comprises the state's anti-cruelty provisions. Under the section, "animal" means a living creature except a human being. "Cruelty" is defined as the unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering caused or allowed by an act, omission, or neglect, and includes torture and torment. Agricultural, veterinary, research, and "an activity that may cause unavoidable physical pain to an animal, including food processing, pest elimination, animal training, and hunting. . . " are excluded from the purview of the act. |
| MD - Dangerous Animals - Part IV. Animal Control | This chapter of Maryland laws declares that it is in the public interest to ensure public health and safety by strictly regulating the possession, breeding, and importation of certain animals that pose risks to humans. Certain animals such as domestic dogs, cats, and ferrets; animal used for agricultural, scientific, or education purposes; and animals used for public exhibitions are excluded from the provisions of this section. Any person who imports, transports, sells, transfers, breeds, raises, keeps, or possesses any animal which is prohibited under regulations promulgated by the Secretary is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500, or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or both. |
| MD - Disaster planning - State of Maryland Response Operations Plan | The Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the agency that oversees the Maryland Emergency Preparedness Program (MEPP). The plan references pets and disaster planning, recognizing the need for mass care services for household pets and service animals in one emergency support functions (ESF), and the need to provide a framework and protective actions for animals in ESF #16. |
| MD - Dogs - Consolidated Dog Laws | These statutes comprise Maryland's dog laws. Maryland is unique in that the state law governs the specific licensing and other regulations certain counties may adopt or enforce. Also included are the state rabies provisions and even the law that designates the state dog (the Chesapeake Bay retriever). |
| MD - Domestic Violence - Subtitle 5. Domestic Violence. | This Maryland law amended in 2011 allows an interim protective order to award temporary possession of any pet (defined in Section 4-501 as a domesticated animal except livestock) to the person eligible for relief or the respondent. This law also allows the court to issue temporary or final protective orders awarding temporary possession of any pet of the person eligible for relief or the respondent. |
| MD - Ecoterrorism - Title 6. Crimes Against Property. | This law reflects Maryland's "ecoterrorism"/animal research interference law. A person may not break and enter a research facility without the permission of the research facility with the intent to: obtain unauthorized control over research property; alter or eradicate research property; damage or deface research property; move research property in a manner intended to cause harm to it; destroy or remove research property; or engage in conduct that results in the removal of research property. Violation of the law is a felony with imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to $5,000, or both. |
| MD - Emergency - § 5-614. Veterinary aid, care or assistance | This Maryland law provides that certain individuals including veterinarians, licensed medical providers, first responders, volunteer fire fighters, and designated local government employees who are responding to a call in the community are not civilly liable for any act or omission in giving any veterinary aid, care, or assistance to an animal where the owner or custodian of the animal is not available to grant permission. Certain requirements must be met per subsection (b) for immunity from civil liability. |