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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
animal abuse database
Purpose
Requires the court to establish and maintain an animal abuse database that includes any person who was convicted of or found guilty except insane of animal cruelty, animal fighting or bestiality. Prescribes the information to include within the database and the requirements for the removal of a person from the database.
Background
A person commits
cruelty to animals if the person intentionally, knowingly or
recklessly: 1) subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to
cruel neglect or abandonment; 2) inflicts unnecessary physical injury to any
animal; 3) subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment; or 4) commits other
statutorily prescribed acts (A.R.S.
§ 13-2910).
A person commits animal fighting by knowingly: 1) owning, possessing, keeping or training any animal if the person knows or has reason to know that the animal will engage in an exhibition of gathering with another animal; 2) for amusement or gain, causing any animal to fight with another animal, or causing any animals to injure each other; or 3) permitting any act of animal fighting to be done on any premises under the person's charge or control. Animal fighting does not apply to animals that are trained to protect livestock from predation and that engage in actions to protect livestock, and is considered a class 5 felony (A.R.S. § 13-2910.01).
A person commits bestiality by knowingly: 1) engaging in oral sexual contact, sexual contact or sexual intercourse with an animal; 2) causing another person to engage in oral sexual contact, sexual contact or sexual intercourse with an animal; or 3) possessing distributing, transporting, exhibiting, selling, purchasing or electronically transmitting any visual depiction in which a real person is actually engaging in oral sexual contact, sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a real animal (A.R.S. § 13-1411).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund (state GF) associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the court to establish and maintain an animal abuse database that includes any person who at the time of the offense was at least 18 years of age and who was convicted of or found guilty except insane for any of the following offenses:
a) cruelty to animals, if the person intentionally or knowingly:
i. subjects any animal under the person's custody or control to cruel neglect or abandonment that results in serious physical injury to the animal;
ii. subjects any animal to cruel mistreatment;
iii. kills or seriously harms a service animal without either legal privilege or consent of the owner;
iv. obtains or exerts unauthorized control over a service animal with the intent to deprive the service animal handler of the service animal;
v. subjects a domestic animal to cruel mistreatment;
vi. kills a domestic animal without either legal privilege or consent of the domestic animal's owner or handler; or
vii. kills or causes serious harm to a working animal without either legal privilege or consent of the owner;
b) animal fighting; and
c) bestiality.
2. Requires the database to consist only of data from the courts and include:
a) the person's:
i. conviction, including the date, level and jurisdiction of conviction;
ii. date of birth;
iii. race and physical description; and
iv. photograph and fingerprint if available;
b) any names by which the person is known; and
c) whether the person is male or female.
3. Allows the court to accept and spend federal monies and private gifts, grants, contributions and devises to assist in carrying out the purposes of the animal abuse database.
4. Stipulates that outlined monies do not revert to the state GF at the end of a fiscal year.
5. Allows a person listed on the database to petition the court to remove the person's record from the database, if in the petition the person avows under penalty of perjury that:
a) at least five years have elapsed since the person was convicted or found guilty except insane;
b) the person successfully completed any court-ordered animal abuse treatment and any terms and conditions of probation; and
c) the person demonstrates to the court that the person does not pose a risk to animals.
6. Requires the court to remove a person's record from the database only if the court determines that the person has satisfied the requirements requested during the petition.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 13, 2026
SB/SF/hk