animal cruelty; failure to treat

This Arizona bill updates animal cruelty laws to provide clearer definitions and stricter penalties for neglecting or harming animals. It specifically expands protections for working and service animals by making it a felony to interfere with, kill, or harm them without the owner's consent. The legislation also clarifies when leaving a dog in a vehicle constitutes a crime and establishes civil liability for costs like veterinary bills and lost wages if a protected animal is injured or killed. Additionally, the bill allows law enforcement to use reasonable force to rescue animals left in vehicles and mandates that individuals on probation for animal cruelty cannot possess animals while on release.