(a)(1) A person is guilty of the unlawful trade in dog or cat by-products in the 2nd degree if the person knowingly or recklessly sells, barters or offers for sale or barter, the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat or any product made in whole or in part from the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat.
(2) This subsection shall not apply to the sale or barter, or offering for sale or barter, of the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat which has been cut at a commercial grooming establishment, or at a veterinary office or clinic, or for scientific research purposes.
(3) The unlawful trade in dog or cat by-products in the 2nd degree is a class B misdemeanor.
(b)(1) A person is guilty of the unlawful trade in dog or cat by-products in the 1st degree if the person knowingly or recklessly sells, barters or offers for sale or barter, the flesh of a domestic dog or cat or any product made in whole or in part from the flesh of a domestic dog or cat.
(2) The unlawful trade in dog or cat by-products in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.
(c) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be:
(1) Prohibited from owning or possessing any domestic dog or cat for 15 years after said conviction, except for those grown, raised or produced within the State for resale, where the person has all necessary licenses for such sale or resale, and receives at least 25 percent of the person's annual gross income from such sale or resale;
(2) Subject to a fine in the amount of $2,500 in any court of competent jurisdiction; and
(3) Required to forfeit any domestic dog or cat illegally owned in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 79 of Title 3.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the term “domestic dog or cat” means a dog (Canis familiaris) or cat (Felis catus or Felis domesticus) that is generally recognized in the United States as being a household pet and shall not include coyote, fox, lynx, bobcat or any other wild or commercially raised canine or feline species the fur or hair of which is recognized for use in warm clothing and outer wear by the United States Department of Agriculture and which species is not recognized as an endangered or threatened species by the United States Fish and Wild Life Service or the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
CREDIT(S)
72 Laws 2000, ch. 391, § 1, eff. June 30, 2000.