Committee advances bill raising penalties for killing or injuring working, service animals

Senate Bill 11-98, which raises penalties for intentionally injuring or killing working and service animals, received a due-pass recommendation from the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee after proponents described severe, real-world attacks on police and service dogs.

Sponsor testimony described the bill’s amended text increasing the penalty for intentionally or knowingly causing serious harm to a working animal from a class 6 to class 5 felony, and increasing penalties for killing a working animal to a class 4 felony. The bill also adds injuring working or service animals to the list of crimes that can make a person liable for certain remedial costs, including training or replacement costs.

Marie Isaacson (Arizona Fraternal Order of Police) and Justin Thornton (Arizona FOP policy group) testified on behalf of law enforcement, citing cases in which K-9s were killed or severely wounded while performing their duties. Pima County representatives said prosecutors and law enforcement supported stronger penalties to reflect the training costs and community value of the animals.

Opponents, including representatives from Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, raised concerns that the bill as written did not clearly preserve self-defense or necessity defenses and asked for drafting clarifications. Counsel noted hypothetical situations — suspects ambushed in confined spaces, or people acting to save themselves from an attacking dog — where the defendant may have a legitimate justification. Supporters said judicial discretion and existing mitigating-language in sentencing could address many of those cases and signaled willingness to work on clarifying defense language if needed.

After discussion the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill with a due-pass recommendation (6 ayes, 1 no).