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SPCA of TN
SPCA of TN
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    • Home
    • About
    • Team
    • Donate
      • Corporate Support
      • Donations
      • Support Our Cause
      • Partners
    • Adopt
      • Dogs For Adoption
      • Adopt a Dog virtually
      • Your New Best Friend
      • Adoption Process
      • Why Dogs & Cats Do This
      • How to Train Your Dog
      • Training Videos
      • Veterinary Care Clinics
    • Foster
      • Fostering a Pet
      • Volunteer
      • Dogs in need of fosters
      • Foster Application
    • Pet Smart Adoption Event
    • Porsche Adoption Events
    • Community Events
    • T-Shirts
    • Surrender a Pet
    • Veterinary Clinics
    • Partnership
    • Connect
    • Honey's Hope
    • Cruelty
      • Tennesse Laws
      • Animal Cruelty
      • Wild life and Horses
      • Animal Controls
    • Success Stories
    • Task Force Team
    • Break the chain
    • Terms and Conditions

  • Home
  • About
  • Team
  • Donate
    • Corporate Support
    • Donations
    • Support Our Cause
    • Partners
  • Adopt
    • Dogs For Adoption
    • Adopt a Dog virtually
    • Your New Best Friend
    • Adoption Process
    • Why Dogs & Cats Do This
    • How to Train Your Dog
    • Training Videos
    • Veterinary Care Clinics
  • Foster
    • Fostering a Pet
    • Volunteer
    • Dogs in need of fosters
    • Foster Application
  • Pet Smart Adoption Event
  • Porsche Adoption Events
  • Community Events
  • T-Shirts
  • Surrender a Pet
  • Veterinary Clinics
  • Partnership
  • Connect
  • Honey's Hope
  • Cruelty
    • Tennesse Laws
    • Animal Cruelty
    • Wild life and Horses
    • Animal Controls
  • Success Stories
  • Task Force Team
  • Break the chain
  • Terms and Conditions

Animal Cruelty

Leaving your dog outside

Make sure you are aware of the danger of leaving your pet outside without supervision 

Shelter- Water- Food

If you are planning to leave your dog outside proper requirements need to be follow- IT IS THE LAW!

Letting your dog Roaming the streets

It is against the law that the dog is running without a leash or proper identification. Always make sure you have a collar, and his rabies tag and information at all tines.

Animal Cruelty

Animal Cruelty is getting more strict in the state of Tennessee. If you see any animals  being abused or neglected or left outside in the cold without shelter,  food or water please call your animal control in you area. Animal  Control will take care of dogs and cats. The Department of Agriculture  is in charge of horses and cattle.


39-14-202. Cruelty to animals. 

(a)  A person commits an offense who intentionally or knowingly:

(1)  Tortures, maims or grossly overworks an animal;

(2)  Fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal in the person’s custody;

(3)  Abandons unreasonably an animal in the person’s custody;

(4)  Transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner; or

(5)  Inflicts burns, cuts, lacerations, or other injuries or  pain, by any method, including blistering compounds, to the legs or  hooves of horses in order to make them sore for any purpose including,  but not limited to, competition in horse shows and similar events.

(b)  A person commits an offense who knowingly ties, tethers,  or restrains a dog in a manner that results in the dog suffering bodily  injury as defined in § 39-11-106.

(c)  It is a defense to prosecution under this section that  the person was engaged in accepted veterinary practices, medical  treatment by the owner or with the owner’s consent, or bona fide  experimentation for scientific research.

(d)  Whenever any person is taken into custody by any officer  for violation of subdivision (a)(4), the officer may take charge of the  vehicle or conveyance, and its contents, used by the person to transport  the animal. The officer shall deposit these items in a safe place for  custody. Any necessary expense incurred for taking charge of and  sustaining the same shall be a lien thereon, to be paid before the same  can lawfully be recovered; or the expenses, or any part thereof,  remaining unpaid may be recovered by the person incurring the same of  the owners of the animal in an action therefor.

(e)  In addition to the penalty imposed in subsection (g), the  court making the sentencing determination for a person convicted under  this section shall order the person convicted to surrender custody and  forfeit the animal or animals whose treatment was the basis of the  conviction. Custody shall be given to a humane society incorporated  under the laws of this state. The court may prohibit the person  convicted from having custody of other animals for any period of time  the court determines to be reasonable, or impose any other reasonable  restrictions on the person’s custody of animals as necessary for the  protection of the animals.

(f)  (1)  Nothing in this section shall be construed as  prohibiting the owner of a farm animal or someone acting with the  consent of the owner of that animal from engaging in usual and customary  practices which are accepted by colleges of agriculture or veterinary  medicine with respect to that animal.

(2)  It is an offense for a person other than a law  enforcement officer acting with probable cause to knowingly interfere  with the performance of any agricultural practices permitted by  subdivision (f)(1).

(3)  An offense under subdivision (f)(2) is a Class B misdemeanor.

(g)  (1)  Cruelty to animals is a Class A misdemeanor.

(2)  A second or subsequent conviction for cruelty to animals is a Class E felony.

[Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1991, ch. 223, § 1; 1992, ch. 840, § 1; 1997, ch. 90, § 4; 2004, ch. 940, § 6; 2007, ch. 535, § 1.]

Cruelty for animals information

Horse Cruelty

Neglect by the owners

Horse Cruelty

Horses and cattle are being torture and abused in the state if you see any cases cruelty contact the Department of Agriculture in Nashville. 

Puppy Mills

Neglect by the owners

Horse Cruelty

Call your Animal Control in your county. However remember only 33 counties have Animal controls and they are 95 counties in the state on Tennessee.

Neglect by the owners

Neglect by the owners

Neglect by the owners

Report any dog not being taking care of to your local Animal Control. Animal that is outside should have food and water and a proper enclosure to get out of the rain and the cold or hot weather.

Sometimes puppies can be a little be destructive but with training is always a plus.

Those Eyes Can Tell You a Story

Additional Information

Tennessee has come a long way for animal cruelty and helping more animals in need but we still have a long way to go in some counties in the state. Your Donation help us continue helping get every animal a second chance. Help us continue donating to our cause.

Updated March 2025

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