Law 67- Protection of Animals

LAW 304
(To amend Article 9 of Law No. 67 of 1973:other penalties against cruelty to animals.)

Sept 2, 204

To amend Article 9 of Law No. 67 of May 31, 1973, as amended, for the
purpose of including the penalties of suspension; cancellation of the
certificate of incorporation or dissolution/liquidation and the suspension
or revocation of the license, permission or authorization as some of the
possible penalties that the Court may impose upon any legal entity that
infringes that which is stipulated in Law No. 67, aforementioned; to
increase the penalties and other purposes.

STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

Law No. 67 of May 31, 1973, as amended, contains a series of legal
dispositions directed towards the protection of animals. First, Law No. 67,
aforementioned, lists the acts of cruelty that are considered illegal. Also,
the legislation in reference established control over the experiments with
live animals. In other words, Law No. 67, aforementioned, complies with the
purpose of guaranteeing the minimum conditions that preserve the health and
wellbeing of the animals in Puerto Rico.

Article 9 of Law No. 67, aforementioned, typified as a misdemeanor any
violation of the legal dispositions within the same. Said article
contemplates as a sanction only the penalties of fines and imprisonment, or
both penalties at the discretion of the Court.

This legislative Assembly considers it necessary to add three (3) possible
penalties that the Court could impose upon the persons, who commit
violations of Law No. 67, aforementioned. First, we introduce the punishment
of suspension which consists of the paralyzation of all activities of the
organization, except those that are necessary for the entity to exist,
during the time determined by the Court, which cannot be more than six (6)
months. See Article 52 of the Penal Code of Puerto Rico. In second place, we
introduce the penalty of the cancellation of the certificate of
incorporation or dissolution of any legal entity that incurs in a pattern of
conduct that constitutes cruelty to animals in its possession. Finally, we
provide for the possibility that the license, permit or authorization be
suspended or revoked by any legal entity that violates the requirements or
established procedures in Law No. 67, aforementioned.

Through the establishment of these penalties, the Legislative Assembly
pursues making aware even more about the importance of correctly taking care
of animals; to avoid that laboratories or other companies commit acts of
cruelty against animals and promote that commercial establishments dedicated
to selling animals concern themselves with complying with the requirements
and the optimum care that they need.

DECREED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUERTO RICO:

Section 1.- Article 9 of Law No. 67 of May 31, 1973, as amended, is amended,
so that it reads as follows:

"Article 9.-

Any person that infringes upon the dispositions of this Law will incur in a
misdemeanor and convicted will be sanctioned with the penalty of a fine that
will not exceed five thousand (5,000) dollars. Also, in the case that the
transgressor is a legal entity, the Court can also impose any of the
following penalties: (1) the penalty of suspension that will consist of the
paralyzation of all the activities of the organization, except those that
are necessary for the entity to exist, during the time that is determined
prudent, which cannot be more than six (6) months; (2) the penalty of the
cancellation of the certificate of incorporation or dissolution/liquidation
of any legal entity that incurs in a pattern of conduct which constitutes
cruelty against the animals in its possession, and (3) the penalty of
suspension or revocation of the license, permission or authorization of any
legal entity who violates the requirements or established procedures in
virtue of this Law."

Section 2.- This Law will become effective immediately after its approval.

*English Translation by Leilani Mullen