Kentucky Animal Hoarding Prosecuted as Second-Degree Cruelty

KRS 525.130 makes it a crime to intentionally or wantonly subject any animal in your custody to cruel neglect, or to fail to provide adequate food, drink, space, or health care: the exact conditions that define animal hoarding. Kentucky prosecutors charge overcrowded, underfed collections of animals under this second-degree cruelty section rather than a dedicated hoarding law. Cruelty to animals in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $500. County attorneys and animal-control officers bring these cases, and courts can order the animals seized.

A Class A misdemeanor: up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $500 per conviction. Courts can seize the hoarded animals, and each neglected animal can support a separate charge.