LRB-2609/1
MGD:wlj:rs
2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE
April 20, 2005 - Introduced by Senators Risser, Miller, Roessler, Lassa,
Carpenter
and Harsdorf, cosponsored by Representatives Berceau, Hahn,
Sherman, Sheridan, M. Williams, Bies, Hines, Grigsby, Pocan, Molepske,
Benedict, Ott
and Gunderson. Referred to Committee on Judiciary,
Corrections and Privacy.
SB181,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 951.18 (4) (a) 1.; to amend 951.18 (4) (a) 2.;
2and to create 951.01 (5), 951.097, 951.18 (2s), 951.18 (4) (a) 1. a., 951.18 (4) (a)
31. b., 951.18 (4) (a) 1. c., 951.18 (4) (a) 1. d., 951.18 (4) (a) 1. e. and 951.18 (4) (a)
41. f. of the statutes; relating to: harassment of, causing injury to, or theft of a
5service dog and providing penalties.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, no person may do any of the following to an animal that is
used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform its functions or
duties: 1) frighten, intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass the animal; or 2) strike
(with or without a weapon), shove, kick, or otherwise subject the animal to physical
contact. (These prohibitions do not apply to acts done by or with the authorization
of the animal's handler or rider or to acts done in the course of training the animal.)
The penalties for violating these prohibitions depend on the extent of the harm
inflicted on the animal and the mental state of the actor. Generally, an offender is
subject to a forfeiture (a civil penalty) of up to $1,000. But if the person knows that
the animal is used by a law enforcement agency or fire department to perform its
functions or duties, the person is guilty of: 1) a Class A misdemeanor, if the violation
is intentional or negligent; 2) a Class I felony, if the violation is intentional and the
person causes injury to the animal; or 3) a Class H felony, if the violation is
intentional and the person causes the death of the animal. (See the table below for
the penalties that apply to these classes of crimes.)

If a person is convicted of one of these crimes, the court must require the person
to pay restitution to any person or entity incurring pecuniary loss as a result of the
crime. Under current law, "pecuniary loss" includes: 1) the money equivalent of any
loss or damage resulting from the offense; 2) reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
incurred by the victim resulting from the filing of charges or cooperating in the
investigation and prosecution of the crime; and 3) expenses in keeping any animal
that is involved in the crime.
This bill creates new crimes involving dogs that are trained for the purpose of
assisting persons with sensory, mental, or physical disabilities or accommodating
such disabilities (service dogs). Under the bill, a person who does any of the
following, knowing that the dog involved is a service dog, is guilty of a Class A
misdemeanor: 1) recklessly interferes with the use of a service dog by obstructing or
intimidating it or otherwise jeopardizing its safety or the safety of its user after
receiving a request to stop behavior that is interfering with the dog; 2) recklessly
allows his or her dog to interfere with the use of a service dog by obstructing or
intimidating it or otherwise jeopardizing its safety or the safety of its user; or 3)
recklessly injures a service dog or recklessly allows his or her dog to injure a service
dog. In addition, a person who intentionally injures a service dog or intentionally
allow his or her dog to injure a service dog, knowing that that dog is a service dog,
is guilty of a Class I felony. A person who intentionally causes the death of a service
dog or steals a service dog is guilty of a Class H felony.
The bill also makes the provisions in current law relating to restitution in cases
involving law enforcement agency or fire department animals applicable to service
dogs. In addition, the bill specifies that "pecuniary loss" includes the following for
cases involving either law enforcement agency or fire department animals or service
dogs: 1) the value of a replacement animal, if needed, the cost of training a
replacement animal, or the cost of retraining the affected animal; 2) all related
veterinary and care expenses; and 3) the medical expenses of the animal's user, the
cost of training the animal's user, and compensation for income lost by the animal's
user.
The following table lists the penalties that apply to crimes discussed in this
analysis: - See PDF for table PDF
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,
the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a
report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to
result if the bill is enacted.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB181, s. 1 1Section 1. 951.01 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,3,42 951.01 (5) "Service dog" means a dog that is trained for the purpose of assisting
3a person with a sensory, mental, or physical disability or accommodating such a
4disability.
SB181, s. 2 5Section 2. 951.097 of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,3,96 951.097 Harassment of service dogs. (1) (a) Any person may provide notice
7to another person in any manner that the latter person's behavior is interfering with
8the use of a service dog and may request that the latter person stop engaging in that
9behavior.
SB181,3,1210 (b) No person, after receiving a notice and request under par. (a) regarding a
11service dog, may recklessly interfere with the use of the service dog by obstructing
12or intimidating it or otherwise jeopardizing its safety or the safety of its user.
SB181,3,15 13(2) No person may recklessly allow his or her dog to interfere with the use of
14a service dog by obstructing or intimidating it or otherwise jeopardizing its safety or
15the safety of its user.
SB181,3,17 16(3) No person may recklessly injure a service dog or recklessly allow his or her
17dog to injure a service dog.
SB181,3,19 18(4) No person may intentionally injure a service dog or intentionally allow his
19or her dog to injure a service dog.
SB181,3,20 20(5) No person may intentionally cause the death of a service dog.
SB181,4,3
1(6) No person may take possession of or exert control over a service dog without
2the consent of its owner or user and with the intent to deprive another of the use of
3the service dog.
SB181, s. 3 4Section 3. 951.18 (2s) of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,4,95 951.18 (2s) Any person who violates s. 951.097 (1) (b), (2), or (3), knowing that
6the dog that is the victim is a service dog, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any
7person who violates s. 951.097 (4), knowing that the dog that is the victim is a service
8dog, is guilty of a Class I felony. Any person who violates s. 951.097 (5) or (6), knowing
9that the dog that is the victim is a service dog, is guilty of a Class H felony.
SB181, s. 4 10Section 4. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 951.18 (4) (a) 1.
11(intro.) and amended to read:
SB181,4,1312 951.18 (4) (a) 1. (intro.) In this paragraph, "pecuniary loss" has the meaning
13described in s. 943.245 (1).
means any of the following:
SB181, s. 5 14Section 5. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. a. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,4,1715 951.18 (4) (a) 1. a. All special damages, but not general damages, including the
16money equivalent of loss resulting from property taken, destroyed, broken, or
17otherwise harmed and out-of-pocket losses, such as medical expenses.
SB181, s. 6 18Section 6. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. b. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,4,2119 951.18 (4) (a) 1. b. Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the victim
20resulting from the filing of charges or cooperating in the investigation and
21prosecution of an offense under this chapter.
SB181, s. 7 22Section 7. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. c. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,4,2323 951.18 (4) (a) 1. c. Expenses in keeping any animal that is involved in the crime.
SB181, s. 8 24Section 8. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. d. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,5,5
1951.18 (4) (a) 1. d. In a case under s. 951.095 or 951.097, the value of a
2replacement animal, if the affected animal is incapacitated or dead; the cost of
3training a replacement animal; or the cost of retraining the affected animal. The
4court shall base any determination of the value of a replacement service dog on the
5value of the service dog to the user and not on its cost or fair market value.
SB181, s. 9 6Section 9. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. e. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,5,87 951.18 (4) (a) 1. e. In a case under s. 951.095 or 951.097, all related veterinary
8and care expenses.
SB181, s. 10 9Section 10. 951.18 (4) (a) 1. f. of the statutes is created to read:
SB181,5,1210 951.18 (4) (a) 1. f. In a case under s. 951.095 or 951.097, the medical expenses
11of the animal's user, the cost of training the animal's user, and compensation for
12income lost by the animal's user.
SB181, s. 11 13Section 11. 951.18 (4) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB181,5,2414 951.18 (4) (a) 2. A sentencing court shall require a criminal violator to pay
15restitution to a person, including any local humane officer or society or county or
16municipal pound or a law enforcement officer or conservation warden, for any
17pecuniary loss suffered by the person as a result of the crime, including expenses in
18keeping any animal that is involved in the crime
. This requirement applies
19regardless of whether the criminal violator is placed on probation under s. 973.09.
20If restitution is ordered, the court shall consider the financial resources and future
21ability of the criminal violator to pay and shall determine the method of payment.
22Upon the application of any interested party, the court shall schedule and hold an
23evidentiary hearing to determine the value of any pecuniary loss under this
24paragraph.
SB181,5,2525 (End)
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