Sec. 3-180. Animal Cruelty and Neglect; prohibited
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 3-180 (2026)
Sec. 3-180. Animal Cruelty and Neglect; prohibitedLinkCopy Citation
(a)
All animals are protected against cruelty or neglect as defined in Sections 3-101(31) and 3-101(53) of this Subtitle. No animal shall be overdriven, overloaded, deprived of necessary sustenance, tortured, tormented, mutilated, cruelly beaten, or otherwise physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually abused or cruelly killed. In addition, all domestic animals except livestock are prohibited from being kept outdoors when the effective outdoor wind chill index is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, or the heat index is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, as determined by the National Weather Service. Any person who causes, procures, or authorizes these acts; or who, having the charge or custody of an animal as an owner or otherwise, inflicts unnecessary suffering or pain upon the animal; or who unnecessarily fails to provide the animal with proper nutritious food, water, air, space, shelter and protection from the weather, timely and proper veterinary care or any other elements of proper care as defined in Sections 3-101(a)(65) through (a)(77) shall be charged in accordance with the provisions of Subsection (b) below. Any person who fails to employ the most humane method possible for activities such as food processing, pest elimination, hunting, experimentation, and animal training shall be charged in accordance with the provisions of Subsection (b) below. Each act or omission in violation of this Section shall constitute a separate offense.
(b)
Whenever it becomes necessary to protect an animal from cruelty or neglect, any police officer or Animal Control Officer may take possession of the animal. If an animal is impounded, yarded, or confined and continues without the provisions of the elements of proper care, or is cruelly treated or neglected, any police officer or Animal Control Officer may enter into and upon any place in which the animal is impounded, yarded, or confined and supply the animal with proper care as long as the animal remains there; or, if necessary for the health and/or safety of the animal, the officer may remove the animal and not be liable to any action for that entry or for taking possession of the animal. Upon impoundment, the officer taking possession of the animal must leave written notification of the officer's action and of any administrative remedies which may be available. The notification shall inform the owner or custodian of their right to file, within ten (10) days of receiving notice, a petition in writing with the Commission for Animal Control (CAC) for the return of the animal. If the owner or custodian fails to file the petition within the prescribed time period, or if the owner or custodian is unknown and cannot with reasonable effort be ascertained for a period of twenty (20) days, the animal shall become the property of Prince George's County. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to permit the entry into a private dwelling or to permit the taking of a farm animal without first having obtained the recommendation of a veterinarian. When a violation under this Section has occurred, the police officer or Animal Control Officer shall employ one of the following:
(1)
A one-time written cruelty warning notice shall be issued by an Animal Control Officer, who shall also provide detailed educational guidance and compliance requirements specific to the violation for first-time offenses of less serious cases of cruelty or neglect. "Less serious cruelty or neglect" is defined as any act of cruelty or neglect, which has no permanent effect on the animal, and the aforementioned behavior of the owner or custodian is subsequently corrected through education and compliance.
(2)
(A)
Second offenses of less serious acts of cruelty or neglect, which are not a recurrence of the conduct prohibited in this Subsection, shall result in the removal of the animal(s).
(B)
Second offenses of less serious acts of cruelty or neglect that area recurrence of the conduct prohibited in this Subsection shall result in the removal of the animal(s). The owner or custodian shall be fined One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per animal.
(C)
Animal(s) that have been removed pursuant to Sections (b)(2)(A) and (b)(2)(B) shall be housed for a period not to exceed seven (7) days, at the Animal Services and Adoption Center or a designated approved location. The owner or custodian shall pay for the board and care of the animal(s) at the Animal Services and Adoption Center or designated location during the seven (7) day period allowed for taking corrective measures. Such animals shall be designated as a "humane hold" until corrective measures ensuring the safety and well-being of the animal(s) have been taken by the owner or custodian. These corrective measures shall be confirmed through inspection by an Animal Control Officer. Animals on humane hold shall not be adopted or euthanized, however, an animal may be euthanized upon the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian as necessary to prevent the pain and suffering of the animal. If appropriate corrective measures have not been taken by the close of the seven (7) day period, the animal(s) shall become the property of Prince George's County and may be disposed of by adoption, euthanasia, or other disposition as may be advantageous to the County and the animal(s).
(3)
"Serious cruelty or neglect" is defined as any act by an owner, custodian or other person which causes physical trauma, impairment of condition, and/or unnecessary pain and suffering and the cruelty or neglect results in physical injury to, and/or creates a substantial risk of death, or causes the death of an animal. A violation of this Section, as well as any third offense of less serious cruelty or neglect, shall result in a charge of cruelty, and the violator shall be subject to a fine of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per animal.
(4)
"Aggravated Animal Cruelty or Neglect" is defined as any act by an owner, custodian, or other person who tortures, torments, mutilates, cruelly beats, or kills an animal under circumstances demonstrating malice aforethought; or fails to provide proper care to an animal and the failure results in the death of the animal. Any person in violation of this Section, or in the case of a subsequent offense under Subsection (b)(3) of this Section shall result in a criminal charge of cruelty. A conviction under this charge shall be punishable by a criminal fine of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and/or imprisonment of not less than ninety (90) days but not more than six (6) months. The Court may also impose an order requiring a psychological evaluation of the convicted offender. A civil penalty of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) shall be imposed as appropriate.
(5)
Animal Fighting/Aggravated Animal Cruelty. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, sponsor, arrange, hold, or encourage any dog, bird, fowl, cock, or any other animal to fight, menace, injure or kill another animal for the purpose of sport, amusement, or financial gain. For the purposes of this Section, a person encourages an animal to fight, menace, injure or kill another animal if the person:
(A)
is present as a spectator, sponsor, guest or otherwise wagers on an occurrence of fighting;
(B)
owns, trains, transports, possesses, breeds, sells or equips an animal with the intent that such animal will engage in fighting;
(C)
allows animal fighting on the premises of any property owned or controlled by the person;
(D)
allows any animal used for fighting to be kept, harbored, boarded, housed, trained on, or transported in, any property owned or controlled by the person;
(E)
uses any means of communication for the purpose of promoting animal fighting;
(F)
possesses or has in the care or custody, whether owner, custodian or other person, any animal or any device intended to facilitate breeding for fighting purposes or to enhance the animal's fighting, menacing, injuring or killing ability.
(c)
Any person charged under Subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), or (b)(5) of this Section shall immediately surrender all animals in ownership or custodianship to the Animal Services Division of the Prince George's County Department of the Environment. If an appeal is filed, the animal(s) shall either be maintained or euthanized at the owner or custodian's expense by the Animal Services Division. It shall be unlawful for any person found guilty of cruelty under this Section to have ownership or custodianship of any animal for a period of five (5) years or more from the date of determination. Upon a finding of guilt and/or the exhaustion of all appeals, the surrendered animal(s) shall become the property of Prince George's County and may be disposed of by adoption or euthanasia.
(d)
Any police officer shall, upon his or her own view of any misdemeanor in relation to cruelty to animals, make arrests or apply for a charging document permitting the arrest of offenders believed to have violated the ordinance of this County regarding cruelty to animals. Any Animal Control Officer or other person shall, upon his or her own view of any misdemeanor in relation to cruelty to animals, apply for a charging document permitting the arrest of offenders believed to have violated the ordinance of this County regarding cruelty to animals.