Is releasing a pet rabbit into the wild considered animal cruelty in Maine? | Fact brief

Deliberately releasing a pet rabbit into the wild and leaving it there is considered animal cruelty under Maine law.

The state’s Animal Welfare Act defines an “abandoned animal” as one deserted by its owner or keeper. The cruelty statute lists abandoning an animal as similar in severity to injuring, torturing or beating one.

Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly abandoning an animal is generally a Class D crime. It becomes a more serious Class C crime if the animal dies as a result, or if the offender has at least two prior animal cruelty convictions.

Prosecutors may instead pursue a civil violation, carrying a fine up to $5,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for subsequent offenses.

Maine’s current animal welfare framework dates back to a sweeping 1987 reform law. The law identified abandonment as cruelty and established parallel civil and criminal enforcement.