Legal Question in Criminal Law in New Jersey

Animal cruelty

I am not considering doing this nor or suggesting anyone do it to their pet but a friend and I were having a debate concerning a case in New Jersy and couldn't find any clear law/answer for ourselves.

Is it illegal to kill/destroy your own pet yourself if you don't want it anymore, if you do it humanely?

I read it isn't if done according to euthanasia methods approved by the USDA but I'm talking about a healthy pet that you just don't want or want to give away...such as a disobedient pet.

Thank You

J


Asked on 11/13/04, 11:37 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Alan Albin Alan S. Albin, Attorney at Law

Re: Animal cruelty

If you apply a little logic to your own question, you will determine that it is probably illegal for a person to kill their own housepet.

How would you go about killing your own housepet in a way which was guaranteed not to be unnecessarily cruel or painful? Unless you had the proper equipment, i.e. lethal injection/gas, and unless you were properly qualified to use such equipment (i.e. such as a veterinarian), it's obvious that you would have no way to safely or non-cruely euthanize your own pet.

You would be facing criminal exposure for cruelty to animals if you did so, and there are also probably laws on the books that prohibit people from killing their own pets in the manner you describe.

To be sure about this, why not call your local vet?

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Answered on 11/20/04, 3:57 pm


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