AN ACT to increase the penalty for the malicious, intentional starvation of an animal and make other changes to the animal cruelty statute.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑360 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a1)	If any person shall maliciously kill, or cause or procure to be killed, any animal by intentional deprivation of necessary sustenance, that person shall be guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 14‑360(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	As used in this section, the words "torture", "torment", and "cruelly" include or refer to any act, omission, or neglect causing or permitting unjustifiable pain, suffering, or death. As used in this section, the word "intentionally" refers to an act committed knowingly and without justifiable excuse, while the word "maliciously" means an act committed intentionally and with malice or bad motive. As used in this section, the term "animal" includes every living vertebrate in the classes Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia except human beings. However, this section shall not apply to the following activities:
(1)	The lawful taking of animals under the jurisdiction and regulation of the Wildlife Resources Commission, except that this section shall apply to those birds exempted by the Wildlife Resources Commission from its definition of "wild birds" pursuant to G.S. 113‑129(15a).
(2)	Lawful activities conducted for purposes of biomedical research or training or for purposes of production of livestock, poultry, or aquatic species.
(2a)	Lawful activities conducted for the primary purpose of providing food for human or animal consumption.
(3)	Activities conducted for lawful veterinary purposes.
(4)	The lawful destruction of any animal for the purposes of protecting the public, other animals, property, or the public health.
(5)	The physical alteration of livestock or poultry for the purpose of conforming with breed or show standards."
SECTION 3.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective December 1, 2007, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 3rd day of July, 2007.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 Joe Hackney
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2007