(a) An owner of a dog may run or train the owner’s dog on woodcock, pheasants, or any imported species, ruffed grouse, rabbit, hare, and quail at any time of year if an attendant accompanies the dog. An attendant of the dog may not carry firearms of any description, except a handgun, or permit the dog, while being trained, to kill any game birds or mammals except during the open season for the game. Each attendant shall possess a valid hunting license while training any dog.

(b) A person may not willfully allow any dog belonging to the person to destroy the eggs or nest of any game bird or mammal. Any person harboring a dog shall be deemed its lawful owner.

(c) Any Natural Resources police officer or any law enforcement officer may kill any dog, which does not bear a license, found destroying game birds or mammals or the nest or eggs of any game bird or mammal.

(d) A Natural Resources police officer or any law enforcement officer shall and any other person may destroy any cat found hunting any game bird or mammal or protected bird or mammal. A cause of action for damages cannot be maintained for this act.

(e) (1) The owner or custodian of a retriever dog shall obtain a permit from the Department before the owner or custodian may shoot artificially reared game birds for the purpose of training the dog. The permit is not required in order to shoot game birds during an open season or on a licensed shooting preserve.

(2) Only the trainer of a retriever dog and not an assistant to the trainer is required to obtain a permit under this subsection.

(3) On payment of the $5 permit fee, the Department shall issue annually a permit to the owner or custodian of a retriever dog to train the dog at any time of the year.

(4) A permittee under this subsection may, while training a retriever dog, possess and shoot with a shotgun any artificially reared game bird that has been liberated by hand and tagged before its use with an identification band provided by the Department.