Chapter 135. to prevent cruelty to children or animals in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes
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CHAP. 135.— An Act to prevent cruelty to children or animals in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.June 25, 1892. Cruelty to children, etc. D. C. Police court Jurisdiction.*Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That the police court of the District of Columbia shall have jurisdiction in all cases arising under the act of February thirteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-five, entitled Vol. 23, p. 303.“An act for the protection of children in the Appeal.District of Columbia and for other purposes,” subject to appeal to the supreme court of the District, according to the provisions of section four of chapter five hundred Vol. 26, p. 848.and thirty-six, Twenty sixth Statutes at Large, entitled “An act to define the jurisdiction of the police court of the District of Columbia;” and Witness fees.the same witness fees shall be allowed in the prosecution of all cases of cruelty to children or animals in the District of Columbia as are allowed R.
S., sec. 848, p. 160.in other cases by section eight hundred and forty-eight of the Revised Statutes of the United States; but no officer or member of the Humane Society shall be entitled to any fee as a witness in any such case. Sec. 2. That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized,Police detail to enforce laws against cruelty to animals. in their discretion, to detail from time to time one or more members of the metropolitan police force to aid the Washington Humane Society in the enforcement of laws relating to cruelty to animals as well as of the laws relating to cruelty to children.
Sec. 3. That section twelve of the act of August twenty-third, eighteenDefinitions. hundred and seventy-one, entitled “An act for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the District of Columbia,” is amended to read as follows: “That in this act the word ‘animals’ or ‘animal’ shall be held to include all living and sentient creatures (human beings excepted), and the words ‘owner,’ ‘persons,’ and ‘whoever’ shall be held to include corporations and incorporated companies as well as individuals.
” Sec. 4. That a person being the owner or possessor or having chargePunishment for abandoning maimed animals, etc. or custody of a maimed, diseased, disabled, or infirm animal who abandons such animal, or leaves it to lie in the street or road, or public place, more than three hours after he receives notice that it is left disabled, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than ten dollars nor more than two hundred and fifty dollars, or by Destruction of diseased, etc., animals.imprisonment in jail not more than one year, or both.
Any agent or officer of the Washington Humane Society may lawfully destroy, or cause to be destroyed, any animal found abandoned and not properly cared for, appearing, in the judgment of two reputable citizens called by him to view the same in his presence, to be glandered, injured, or diseased Arrests.past recovery for any useful purpose. When any person arrested is, at the time of such arrest, in charge of any animal, or of any vehicle drawn by any animal, or containing any animal, any agent of said society may take charge of such animal and such vehicle and its contents and deposit the same in a place of safe custody or deliver the 61 same into the possession of the police authorities, who shall assume the custody thereof; and all necessary expenses incurred in taking charge of such property shall be a lien thereon.
Sec. 5. That whoever cuts the solid part of the tail of any horse inPenalty for docking horses. the operation known as docking, and whoever shall cause the same to be done or assist in doing such cutting (unless the same is proved to be of benefit to the horse), shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by imprisonment in the jail not exceeding one year or tine of not less than one hundred nor more than two hundred and fifty dollars. Sec. 6. That any person who sets on foot, instigates, promotes, carriesPenalty fur engaging in cock fights, etc. on, or does any act, as assistant, umpire, or principal, or attends or in any way engages in the furtherance of any tight between cocks, fowls, or other birds, or dogs, bulls, bears, or other animals, premeditated by any persons owning or having custody of such birds or animals, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty dollars or by imprisonment in jail not more than one year, or both.
Approved, June 25, 1892.