§ 5-19. Cruelty to animals.

A. 

No person shall overdrive, overload, overwork or willfully and maliciously torture, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, willfully, maliciously and needlessly mutilate or kill or otherwise mistreat in a cruel or inhumane manner any animal, or cause or procure such mistreatment to be done. No person shall have the care and custody of any animal and fail to provide it with the proper food, drink or proper shelter or cruelly abandon it.

B. 

If any law enforcement officer or community service officer has probable cause to believe that an animal is being deprived of proper food, drink or proper shelter, the animal may be impounded. The cost of such impoundment shall be paid by the owner if known. The animal may be released to the owner upon payment of all fees and showing that the animal will now be given proper food, drink and shelter.

C. 

Any person in violation of this section shall be fined not less than $500 and may lose the privilege of owning any animal for a period of one year from the date of such conviction.