18 USC § 1368 - Harming animals used in law enforcement

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s1368"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 1368 - Harming animals used in law enforcement"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "1368"
section_name: "Harming animals used in law enforcement"
chapter_number: 65
chapter_name: "MALICIOUS MISCHIEF"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 106–254, § 2(a), Aug. 2, 2000, 114 Stat. 638; amended Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4003(a)(4), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1811.)"
---


# § 1368. Harming animals used in law enforcement

**(a)** Whoever willfully and maliciously harms any police animal, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not more than 1 year. If the offense permanently disables or disfigures the animal, or causes serious bodily injury to or the death of the animal, the maximum term of imprisonment shall be 10 years.

**(b)** In this section, the term “police animal” means a dog or horse employed by a Federal agency (whether in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch) for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or apprehension of criminal offenders.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 106–254, § 2(a), Aug. 2, 2000, 114 Stat. 638; amended Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4003(a)(4), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1811.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a).  inserted “to” after “serious bodily injury”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title of 2000 Amendment

> “This Act [enacting this section] may be cited as the ‘Federal Law Enforcement Animal Protection Act of 2000’.”

, , , provided that: