908

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 204

DOGFIGHT, IS GUILTY OF A FELONY MISDEMEANOR PUNISHABLE BY A FINE
NOT EXCEEDING $1,000 $5,000 OR BY IMPRISONMENT NOT TO EXCEED 90
DAYS 3 YEARS, OR BOTH. Customary and normal veterinary and
agricultural husbandry practices including but not limited to
dehorning, castration, docking tails, and limit feeding, are not
covered by the provisions of this section. In the case of
activities in which physical pain may unavoidably be caused to
animals, such as food processing, pest elimination, animal
training, and hunting, cruelty shall mean a failure to employ the
most humane method reasonably available. It is the intention of
the General Assembly that all animals, whether they be privately
owned, strays, domesticated, feral, farm, corporately or
institutionally owned, under private, local, State, or federally
funded scientific or medical activities, or otherwise being
situated in Maryland shall be protected from intentional cruelty,
but that no person shall be liable for criminal prosecution for
normal human activities to which the infliction of pain to an
animal is purely incidental and unavoidable.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1986.

Approved April 29, 1986.

CHAPTER 204

(House Bill 413)

AN ACT concerning

Hospitals - Health Resources Planning Commission -

Certificate of Need

Worcester County Health Care Needs Assessment

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the State Health Resources
Planning Commission from denying a certificate of need
application to certain persons under certain conditions to
construct a certain hospital in a county where that type of
hospital does not exist; and making this Act an emergency
measure.

BY adding to

Article - Health - General

Section 19-118(k)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1982 Volume and 1985 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: