Harming a police dog, accelerant detection dog, or police horse—Penalty.

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(1) A person is guilty of harming a police dog, accelerant detection dog, or police horse, if he or she maliciously injures, disables, shoots, or kills by any means any dog or horse that the person knows or has reason to know to be a police dog or accelerant detection dog, as defined in RCW 4.24.410, or police horse, as defined in subsection (2) of this section, whether or not the dog or horse is actually engaged in police or accelerant detection work at the time of the injury.

(2) "Police horse" means any horse used or kept for use by a law enforcement officer in discharging any legal duty or power of his or her office.

(3) Harming a police dog, accelerant detection dog, or police horse is a class C felony.

(4)(a) In addition to the criminal penalty provided in this section for harming a police dog:

(i) The court may impose a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars for harming a police dog.

(ii) The court shall impose a civil penalty of at least five thousand dollars and may increase the penalty up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars for killing a police dog.

(b) Moneys collected must be distributed to the jurisdiction that owns the police dog.

[ 2012 c 94 § 2; 2003 c 269 § 1; 1993 c 180 § 2; 1989 c 26 § 2; 1982 c 22 § 2.]


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