Animal abuse: responsible animal owner course: mandatory counseling.

Existing law makes it a crime to maliciously and intentionally maim, mutilate, torture, wound, or kill a living animal. If a defendant is granted probation for a conviction under this provision, existing law requires the court to order the defendant to complete and pay for counseling designed to evaluate and treat behavior or conduct disorders, as specified. This bill would delete the requirement that a defendant granted probation complete counseling and would instead require the court, for every defendant granted probation for this and other specified offenses against animals, to consider whether to order the person to undergo a mental health evaluation by an evaluator chosen by the court. The bill would require the defendant to pay for the evaluation and subsequent treatment, but would authorize the court to establish a sliding fee schedule based on the defendant's ability to pay.