(1) A person is guilty of the offense of torturing a companion animal if he tortures a companion animal as defined in this chapter.
(2)  A person convicted of torturing a companion animal shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, if it is the person’s first conviction under this section, and shall be punished according to section 25-3520A(1) or (2), Idaho Code.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 25-3504A

  • Animal: means any vertebrate member of the animal kingdom, except man. See Idaho Code 25-3502
  • Companion animal: means those animals solely kept as pets and not used as production animals, as defined in this section, including, but not limited to, domestic dogs, domestic cats, rabbits, companion birds, and other animals. See Idaho Code 25-3502
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Person: means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, other business unit, society, association or other legal entity, any public or private institution, the state of Idaho, or any municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state. See Idaho Code 25-3502
(3)  A person convicted of a subsequent violation of torturing a companion animal shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished under the provisions of section 25-3520A(3)(b), Idaho Code.
(4)  Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, a person convicted of torturing a companion animal for the first time, but who, within ten (10) years prior to the conviction, also has been convicted of a felony offense involving the voluntary infliction of bodily injury upon any human shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished according to the provisions of section 25-3520A(3)(b), Idaho Code.
(5)  Before sentencing an individual convicted of a violation of this section, the court shall order and consider a presentence investigation that shall include a psychological evaluation of the defendant.