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To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the penalties for animal crushing, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill increases criminal penalties for animal crushing under federal law. For a first offense, violators can be imprisoned for up to 10 years and fined; for a second or subsequent offense, up to 15 years and fined. The bill also creates a new federal crime for abandonment or endangerment of domesticated animals on federal land or affecting interstate commerce, with the same penalties. The law applies to living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians kept for pleasure or commercial purposes. The bill includes exceptions for customary animal management, veterinary care, food slaughter, hunting, sports, pest control, scientific research, and animal euthanasia.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Josh Gottheimer’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- BLACKSTONE $116,700
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $71,500
- KKR & CO INC. $50,600
- CENTERVIEW PARTNERS $25,000
- FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP $23,200
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Josh Gottheimer → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 23, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. · house
- Apr 23, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 23, 2026
Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the penalties for animal crushing, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Protect our Pets Act”.
SEC. 2. INCREASED PENALTIES FOR ANIMAL CRUSHING.
Subsection (c) of section 48 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“(c) Penalties.—Whoever violates this section shall be—
“(1) in the case of a first offense, fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both; and
“(2) in the case of a second or subsequent offense, fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both.”.
SEC. 3. ABANDONMENT OR ENDANGERMENT OF ANIMALS ON FEDERAL LAND PROHIBITED.
(a) In General.—Chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 48 the following: “Sec. 48A. Abandonment or endangerment of animals
“(a) Offense.—Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or on Federal land, knowingly abandons a domesticated animal or commits an act of violence that endangers a domesticated animal, shall be—
“(1) in the case of a first offense, fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both; and
“(2) in the case of a second or subsequent offense, fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both.
“(b) Exceptions.—This section does not apply with regard to any conduct that is—
“(1) a customary and normal veterinary, agricultural husbandry, or other animal management practice;
“(2) the slaughter of animals for food;
“(3) hunting, trapping, fishing, a sporting activity not otherwise prohibited by Federal law, predator control, or pest control;
“(4) medical or scientific research;
“(5) necessary to protect the life or property of a person; or
“(6) performed as part of euthanizing an animal.
“(c) Definition.—In this section, the term ‘domesticated animal’ means a living non-human mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian, whether kept for pleasure or commercial purposes.”.
(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of section sections for chapter 3 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 48 the following:
“48A. Abandonment or endangerment of animals.”. <all>
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