(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful bear exploitation if he or she knowingly:
(1) Promotes, engages in, or is employed at a bear wrestling match;
(2) Receives money for the admission of another person to a place kept for bear wrestling;
(3) Sells, purchases, possesses, or trains a bear for bear wrestling; or
(4) For purposes of exploitation, subjects a bear to surgical alteration in any form, including, but not limited to, declawing, tooth removal, and severing tendons.
(b) Unlawful bear exploitation is a Class D felony.
(c) Upon the arrest of any person for violating a provision of this section, the arresting law enforcement officer or animal control officer may seize and take custody of any bear in the possession of the arrested person.
(d)
(1) Upon the conviction of any person for violating a provision of this section, any court of competent jurisdiction may order the forfeiture by the convicted person of any bear the use of which was the basis of the conviction.
(2) Any bear ordered forfeited under a provision of this section shall be placed in the custody of a society which is incorporated for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
(e) In addition to the fines, penalties, and forfeitures imposed under a provision of this section, the court may require the defendant to make restitution to the state, any of its political subdivisions, or a society which is incorporated for the prevention of cruelty to animals for housing, feeding, or providing medical treatment to a bear used for unlawful wrestling.
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.