(a) For purposes of this section:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-17-1363

  • Bodily injury: includes a cut, abrasion, bruise, burn or disfigurement, and physical pain or temporary illness or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Deadly weapon: means :
    (A) A firearm or anything manifestly designed, made or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Force: means compulsion by the use of physical power or violence and shall be broadly construed to accomplish the purposes of this title. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Owner: means a person, other than the defendant, who has possession of or any interest other than a mortgage, deed of trust or security interest in property, even though that possession or interest is unlawful and without whose consent the defendant has no authority to exert control over the property. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Property: means anything of value, including, but not limited to, money, real estate, tangible or intangible personal property, including anything severed from land, library material, contract rights, choses-in-action, interests in or claims to wealth, credit, admission or transportation tickets, captured or domestic animals, food and drink, electric or other power. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Serious bodily injury: means bodily injury that involves:
    (A) A substantial risk of death. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) “Potentially vicious dog” means a dog that may reasonably be assumed to pose a threat to public safety as demonstrated by any of the following behaviors:

(A) When unprovoked and off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog, inflicts a bite causing bodily injury, as defined in § 39-11-106, to a person or domestic animal; or
(B) When unprovoked and off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog, on two (2) or more separate occasions, chases, menaces or approaches a person or domestic animal in an aggressive manner or apparent attitude of attack;
(2) “Vicious dog” means any dog that without provocation and off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog, has attacked a person causing death or serious bodily injury, as defined by § 39-11-106, to such person; and
(3) “Violent felony” means:

(A) Any felony involving the use or attempted use of force, violence or a deadly weapon;
(B) A violation of § 39-17-417, § 39-17-433 or § 39-17-435; or
(C) A violation of § 39-14-203(a)(1)-(3), § 39-14-205, § 39-14-212 or § 39-14-214.
(b) It is an offense for any person convicted of a violent felony to knowingly own, possess, have custody or control of a potentially vicious dog or a vicious dog for a period of ten (10) years after such person has been released from custody following completion of sentence or is no longer under active probation, community correction or parole supervision for such violent felony, whichever date is later.
(c) It is an offense for any person convicted of a violent felony to own, possess, or have custody or control of a dog that:

(1) Is not micro chipped for permanent identification; and
(2) Is not spayed or neutered and is older than twelve (12) weeks of age.
(d) A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(e)

(1) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under subsection (c), which must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence, that the dog in question is microchipped and neutered or spayed, or that the dog in question was microchipped and neutered or spayed within thirty (30) days of the defendant being charged with a violation of this section.
(2) Medical records from, or a certificate by, a person who is licensed by the person’s state of residence as a doctor of veterinary medicine, whose license is in good standing and who has personally examined, inserted a microchip in, or operated upon the dog, indicating that the dog in question has been microchipped or spayed or neutered, shall be sufficient evidence that the dog in question has been microchipped or spayed or neutered.
(3) If the dog in question is microchipped by a different doctor than the doctor who spayed or neutered the dog, medical records or a certificate indicating that both procedures have been performed are required for purposes of this defense.
(f) This section shall only apply if a person’s conviction for a violent felony occurs on or after July 1, 2010.
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