Oklahoma § 21-1685 - Cruelty to animals

§ 21-1685. Cruelty to animals

Any person who shall willfully or maliciously torture, destroy

or kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim or mutilate any animal in

subjugation or captivity, whether wild or tame, and whether

belonging to the person or to another, or deprive any such animal of

necessary food, drink, shelter, or veterinary care to prevent

suffering; or who shall cause, procure or permit any such animal to

be so tortured, destroyed or killed, or cruelly beaten or injured,

maimed or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food, drink, shelter,

or veterinary care to prevent suffering; or who shall willfully set

on foot, instigate, engage in, or in any way further any act of

cruelty to any animal, or any act tending to produce such cruelty,

shall be guilty of a Class B5 felony offense and shall be punished

by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not exceeding five (5)

years, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1)

year, or by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

Any animal so maltreated or abused shall be considered an abused or

neglected animal.

R.L. 1910, § 2746. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 133, § 384, eff. July

1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 276, eff. July 1, 1999;

Laws 2003, c. 363, § 1, eff. July 1, 2003; Laws 2006, c. 188, § 3,

eff. Nov. 1, 2006; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 165, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective

date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 384 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.