Indiana statute

Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11 — Cruelty to a law enforcement animal

Current through 2026 Regular Session

Part of Chapter 3: Offenses Relating to Animals, Indiana Code.

Criminal charges under this statute

Cruelty to a law enforcement animal

Full text of Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11

Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of Indiana.

Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11Primary source, current through the 2026 Regular Session

Sec. 11. (a) A person who knowingly or intentionally: (1) strikes, torments, injures, or otherwise mistreats a law enforcement animal; or (2) interferes with the actions of a law enforcement animal while the animal is engaged in assisting a law enforcement officer in the performance of the officer's duties; commits a Class A misdemeanor. (b) An offense under subsection (a)(1) is a Level 6 felony if the act results in: (1) serious permanent disfigurement; (2) unconsciousness; or (3) permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ; of the law enforcement animal. (c) An offense under subsection (a)(1) is a level 5 felony if the act results in the death of the law enforcement animal. (d) It is a defense to a prosecution under this section: (1) that the accused person: (A) engaged in a reasonable act of training, handling, or discipline; and (B) acted as an employee or agent of a law enforcement agency; or (2) that: (A) the actions of the accused person were objectively reasonable and taken in good faith to protect the person or another individual from imminent injury by the law enforcement animal; and (B) neither the accused person nor the other individual substantially contributed to the circumstances leading to the deployment of the law enforcement animal. (e) In addition to any sentence or fine imposed for a conviction of an offense under this section, the court: (1) may order the person convicted to make restitution to the person or law enforcement agency owning the animal for reimbursement of veterinary bills; and (2) shall order the person convicted to make restitution to the person or law enforcement agency owning the animal for reimbursement of the cost of replacing the animal, which may include the cost of training the animal, if the animal is permanently disabled or killed.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is cruelty to a law enforcement animal a felony or a misdemeanor in Indiana?

It depends on the circumstances: cruelty to a law enforcement animal ranges from a Class A Misdemeanor to a Level 5 Felony in Indiana under Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11.

Cruelty to a law enforcement animal - base offense: Class A Misdemeanor (Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11(a)) · Cruelty to a law enforcement animal - serious injury: Level 6 Felony (Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11(b)) · Cruelty to a law enforcement animal - death: Level 5 Felony (Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11(c))

Which Indiana statute covers cruelty to a law enforcement animal?

Cruelty to a law enforcement animal is governed by Ind. Code § 35-46-3-11 (Cruelty to a law enforcement animal).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.