Sponsor
Ashley Brooke Moody
Senator · R-FL
Senator · R-FL
Official title: Amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit harming animals used in law enforcement, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 21, 2026 by Ashley Brooke Moody · Last progress May 21, 2026
The bill strengthens legal protection and emergency-care pathways for police dogs—improving K-9 survival and deterrence—while increasing criminal penalties and imposing unfunded implementation, potential administrative burdens, and possible operational conflicts with human-patient care.
On-duty police dogs: standardized EMS guidance and clarified federal transport rules let EMS/first responders provide faster on-scene care and emergency transport for K-9s, improving survival and operational capability.
Attackers who use deadly or dangerous weapons against police animals: face substantially harsher federal penalties (up to 15 years and/or fines), increasing deterrence and legal protection for working animals.
Veterinarians and good-faith responders: explicitly protected from prosecution when providing emergency veterinary care to injured police animals, enabling prompt treatment without legal risk.
Human patients and EMS operations: prioritizing transport/treatment of injured police dogs could delay or complicate timely transport of human patients in changing scenes, posing health risks.
Local EMS agencies and rural providers: the bill issues guidance but does not mandate training or provide funding, so many agencies (especially rural or resource-constrained ones) may be unable to implement recommended protocols effectively.
Taxpayers and the federal justice system: expanding aggravated federal penalties for attacks on animals assisting federal agencies could increase federal caseloads and prosecutorial/resource demands, shifting costs to federal resources.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates an aggravated federal penalty (up to 15 years) for harming qualifying police animals and requires DOT/NHTSA guidance and rules to let EMS treat and transport injured on‑duty police dogs.
Creates a new aggravated federal crime for harming a police animal with a deadly or dangerous weapon, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or fines; defines which dogs and horses qualify as “police animals.” Requires the Department of Transportation (through NHTSA) to publish EMS guidance for treating injured police dogs within 180 days and to issue regulations within 240 days to permit transporting on‑duty police dogs to veterinary care and allowing EMTs/paramedics to provide emergency care. Also exempts persons acting in good faith who provide emergency veterinary care, and clarifies that “police dog” means a police animal that is a dog and includes State, county, and local working dogs.