TCA 39-14-205
Knowing killing of animal
VIOLATIONViolation
What does this charge mean?
This law makes it illegal to kill someone else's animal without their permission or legal justification. You can only lawfully kill another person's animal if you reasonably believed it was about to cause serious injury or death to you, another person, or an animal in your care—but not if you were trespassing on the owner's property when you did it. The punishment is treated as theft and depends on the animal's value (ranging from misdemeanor to felony based on how much the animal was worth).
Penalty Details
ClassificationViolation
Penalty SummaryViolation
(a) (1) It is an offense to knowingly and unlawfully kill the animal of another without the owner‘s effective consent. (2) A violation of subdivision (a)(1) is theft of property, graded according to the value of the animal, and punished in accordance with § 39-14-105. (b) A person is justified in killing the animal of another if the person acted under a reasonable belief that the animal was creating an imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury to that person or another or an imminent danger of death to an animal owned by or in the control of that person. A person is not justified in killing the animal of another if, at the time of the killing, the person is trespassing upon the property of the owner of the animal.
View on official sourceLast verified: Feb 25, 2026
Quick Facts
VIOLATION
TCA Section39-14-205