---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 1368"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "1368"
heading: "Harming animals used in law enforcement"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1368"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 65 — Malicious Mischief"
---

# §1368. Harming animals used in law enforcement

- (a) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1) willfully and maliciously harms any police animal, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not more than 1 year. If the offense permanently disables or disfigures the animal, or causes [serious bodily injury](/usc/18/2246.md?p=4) to or the death of the animal, the maximum term of imprisonment shall be 10 years.
- (b) In this section, the term “police animal” means a dog or horse employed by a Federal agency (whether in the executive, legislative, or [judicial branch](/usc/18/202.md?p=e-2)) for the principal purpose of aiding in the detection of criminal activity, enforcement of laws, or apprehension of criminal offenders.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 106–254, § 2(a), Aug. 2, 2000, 114 Stat. 638; amended Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4003(a)(4), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1811.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–273 inserted “to” after “serious bodily injury”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title of 2000 Amendment

Pub. L. 106–254, § 1, Aug. 2, 2000, 114 Stat. 638, provided that: “This Act [enacting this section] may be cited as the ‘Federal Law Enforcement Animal Protection Act of 2000’.”