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Arizona legal term

Cruel mistreatment in Arizona Criminal Law

Current through 2026 Arizona legislative session

In Arizona criminal law, “Cruel mistreatment” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Arizona criminal code.

What does “Cruel mistreatment” mean in Arizona criminal law?

"Cruel mistreatment" means to torture or otherwise inflict unnecessary serious physical injury on an animal or to kill an animal in a manner that causes protracted suffering to the animal. 3. (A.R.S. § 13-2910)

Statutes defining or using this term

Related terms in the same statutes

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.