Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 (page 1, lines 2 to 4 in L.D.)

Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 3 in the 3rd line (page 1, line 9 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "hunting" the following: ' , lawful animal competitions, field tests, field trials or shows'

Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 3 in the 4th line (page 1, line 10 in L.D.) by inserting before the following: "hunting dogs." the following: ' law enforcement or'

Amend the bill in section 4 by striking out all of subsection 5 (page 1, lines 19 to 28 in L.D.) and inserting the following:

Amend the bill by striking out all of section 5 (page 1, lines 29 to 30 in L.D.)

Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.

summary

This amendment amends the affirmative defense to prosecution under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17, section 1033 to include lawful animal competitions, field tests, field trials and shows and the training and use of law enforcement dogs. This amendment also amends the new crime of possession of animal fighting paraphernalia to change it to possession of a fighting pit. Possession of a fighting pit is described as the knowing possession, manufacture, transportation or delivery of a fighting pit, which is defined as a walled area intended to be used to contain a dogfight.

This amendment removes the provision in the bill that increased the class of crime for viewing animal fighting to a Class C crime and provided the same penalty for possession of animal paraphernalia.