{"data":{"id":"us-mo/mo.-rev.-stat.-578.012","jurisdiction":"us-mo","citation":"Mo. Rev. Stat. § 578.012","heading":"Animal abuse — penalties.","body":"1. A person commits the offense of animal abuse if he or she:\n(1) Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed by or expressly exempted from the provisions of sections 578.005 to 578.023 and 273.030;\n(2) Purposely or intentionally causes injury or suffering to an animal; or\n(3) Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly fails to provide adequate care which results in substantial harm to the animal.\n2. Animal abuse is a class A misdemeanor, unless the defendant has previously been found guilty of animal abuse or the suffering involved in subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section is the result of torture or mutilation consciously inflicted while the animal was alive, in which case it is a class E felony.","path":["Title XXXVIII - CRIMES AND PUNISHMENT; PEACE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS","Chapter 578 - Miscellaneous Offenses"],"source_url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=578.012","current_through":"2026 legislative session (floor)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-03T22:23:29Z","sha256":"4d3751845cf63b9ac24e1a2ae12a52d3c3deb8c9d64262ff9c0235823cbf2fef","source_id":"us-mo","stale":false,"prev":"us-mo/mo.-rev.-stat.-578.011","next":"us-mo/mo.-rev.-stat.-578.013"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}