Cruelty to animals defined generally.
Jacksonville Ordinance Code § 462.201
in effectSec. 462.201. - Cruelty to animals defined generally.
It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally cause, procure or inflict cruelty to or upon animals, whether or not such cruelty results in severe injury or death. For purposes of this Part, causing, procuring and/or inflicting cruelty includes:
(a) Killing, beating, tormenting, torturing, mutilating, molesting, sodomizing, maiming, overloading, overworking or overdriving an animal;
(b) Riding, driving or working the animal when it is sick and unfit to work;
(c) Intentionally trying (by use of a wire, pole, stick, rope or other) to cause a horse or a household pet to fall or lose its balance, or felling, roping or lassoing a horse's or a household pet's legs for the purpose of entertainment or sport;
(d) Carrying any animal in or upon any vehicle in any way so as not to provide for the protection and, safety of the animal being carried including, but not limited to, carrying an animal in the back of an open truck or other open vehicle without being safely tethered in two or more locations so as to avoid injury or jumping from the vehicle and without protecting the animal from inclement weather or weather extremes;
(e) Baiting, breeding, training, transporting, selling, owning, possessing or using an animal for the purpose of animal fighting;
(f) Any act, omission or neglect whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused, permitted or allowed to continue when there is reasonable remedy or relief; and
(g) Any act, omission or neglect leading to the death of the animal.
All fines collected from violations of this Part shall be deposited into the Training and Cruelty Prevention Trust Fund.
(Ord. 2004-259-E, § 1; Ord. 2010-527-E, § 3; Ord. 2016-405-E, § 1; Ord. 2025-811-E, § 2)
Source: City of Jacksonville, Ordinance Code and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/jacksonville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITXIIIHECO_CH462AN_PT2CRNEAN_S462.201CRANDEGEFetched: 10/27/2026