Animal Cruelty and Abuse - As enacted, prohibits the abandonment of an animal in a person's custody and provides that it is not a defense to prosecution that the person abandoned the animal at or near an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, or other place of shelter if the person did not make reasonable arrangements for the care of the animal. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2.

SB 433 prohibits abandoning an animal in one's custody and removes the defense that the animal was left near a shelter, veterinary clinic, or other care facility if the person didn't make reasonable arrangements for the animal's care. This law directly affects individuals who abandon pets, making it a criminal offense even if the animal was left near a shelter. The key provision amends Tennessee Code § 39-14-202(a)(3) to explicitly state that such abandonment cannot be defended by proximity to a care facility. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, strengthening accountability for animal abandonment.