Palau does have laws against animal abuse, a correction to last week’s article about a dog that was found speared from the hip to abdomen. Island Times erroneously reported that there was no national law covering such incident.
Palau national code, 40 PNC 4411 and 4412, the Animal Cruelty Act makes cruelty to animal in the first degree a Class C Felony crime and cruelty to animal in the second degree a misdemeanor crime.
Cruelty to Animals in the First Degree states that if a person knowingly “tortures, mutilates, poisons” any pet animal or equine animal resulting in serious injury…or attempts to kill any pet belonging to another person” that person is committing class C felony which carries punishment of up to five years in jail and fine of up to 10,000 dollars.
It is a misdemeanor crime to “torture, beats, torments, starve, overload or deprive pets of sustenance”, an Animal Cruelty in the Second Degree.
The person or persons that drove a fishing spear into the dog last week, can be charged with a Class C felony crime of Animal Cruelty in the First Degree as well as the misdemeanor crime of Animal Cruelty in the Second Degree. (L.N. Reklai)