Abandonment or neglect of vertebrate animals; defense
Ind. Code § 35-46-3-7
in effectSec. 7. (a) A person who:
(1) has a vertebrate animal in the person's custody; and
(2) recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally abandons or neglects the animal;
commits cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) However, except for a conviction under section 1 of this chapter, an offense under subsection (a) is a Level 6 felony if the:
(1) person has a prior unrelated conviction under this chapter;
(2) person commits the offense in the presence of a minor; or
(3) abandonment or neglect results in:
(A) serious permanent disfigurement;
(B) unconsciousness;
(C) permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ; or
(D) death;
of the animal; or
(4) person has ten (10) or more vertebrate animals in the person's custody which results in the person:
(A) failing to provide adequate food, potable water, and adequate shelter to at least one (1) vertebrate animal;
(B) keeping at least one (1) vertebrate animal in an overcrowded environment; or
(C) disregarding the conditions under which at least one (1) vertebrate animal is living in and the harmful impact the conditions have on the health and well-being of the vertebrate animals.
(c) For purposes of this section, an animal that is feral is not in a person's custody.
As added by P.L.193-1987, SEC.10. Amended by P.L.171-2007, SEC.8; P.L.111-2009, SEC.12; P.L.158-2013, SEC.558; P.L.80-2026, SEC.9.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://iga.in.gov/laws/2026/ic/titles/35Fetched: 10/17/2026