Texas — cruelty to nonlivestock animals (Penal Code § 42.092)
Source: Texas Statutes — Penal Code § 42.092 (Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals), statutes.capitol.texas.gov, extracted 2026-07-23. First-hand Texas statute text; C1 substring-verified against pdf-raw/animal-welfare-law/tx_penal_code_42.txt. This is the state criminal cruelty statute (the LAW), distinct from Health & Safety Code Chapter 821 (treatment/seizure) and from local ordinances.
Texas Penal Code § 42.092 defines the offense of cruelty to nonlivestock animals. "Animal" is broadly defined as "a domesticated living creature, including any stray or feral cat or dog, and a wild living creature previously captured" (the term excludes uncaptured wildlife and livestock). A "Cruel manner" is one "that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering."
The offense (Sec. 42.092) is committed where a person "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence: (1) tortures an animal or in a cruel manner kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal" or "(3) fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal." This covers both active cruelty and neglect/deprivation. It complements Health & Safety Code Chapter 821 (which addresses impounded-animal care and restraint) and the dangerous-dog framework in Chapter 822.
Verbatim C1 claims (each a substring of the source file + this body):
- "Sec. 42.092. CRUELTY TO NONLIVESTOCK ANIMALS."
- "means a domesticated living creature, including any stray or feral cat or dog, and a wild living creature previously captured."
- "includes a manner that causes or permits unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering."
- "commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence: (1) tortures an animal or in a cruel manner kills or causes serious bodily injury to an animal"
- "fails unreasonably to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal"