(1) “Abuser” or “animal abuser” means a person who has been convicted in this state of committing an animal abuse offense;(2) “Animal” means a companion animal, and a “non-livestock animal”, as defined in § 39-14-201. “Animal” does not mean “livestock”, as defined in § 39-14-201, or “wildlife”, as defined in § 70-1-101;(3) “Animal abuse offense” means:
(A) Aggravated cruelty to animals, under § 39-14-212;(B)Animal fighting, under § 39-14-203, where the defendant‘s act constitutes a felony; and(C) A criminal offense against animals, under § 39-14-214;(4) “Companion animal” means any dog, defined as any live dog of the species Canis familiaris, or cat, defined as any live cat of the species Felis catus;(5) “Conviction” means a judgment entered by a Tennessee court upon a plea of guilty, a plea of nolo contendere, or a finding of guilt by a jury or the court, notwithstanding any pending appeal or habeas corpus proceeding arising from the judgment. Conviction includes a disposition of pretrial diversion under § 40-15-105, a disposition of judicial diversion under § 40-35-313, or the equivalent dispositions from other jurisdictions;(6) “Director” means the director of the TBI; and(7) “TBI” means the Tennessee bureau of investigation.
