Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2.

Under present law, a person commits the Class E felony offense of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with aggravated cruelty and with no justifiable purpose, the person intentionally kills or intentionally causes serious physical injury to a companion animal. Present law defines "aggravated cruelty" to mean conduct done or carried out in a depraved and sadistic manner and which tortures or maims an animal, including the failure to provide food and water to a companion animal resulting in a substantial risk of death or death. This bill removes the present law definition of "aggravated cruelty" and specifies that a person commits aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no justifiable purpose, the person intentionally or knowingly kills, maims, tortures, crushes, burns, drowns, suffocates, mutilates, starves, or otherwise causes serious physical injury to a companion animal. ON MAY 3, 2021, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 166 FOR HOUSE BILL 733, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 166, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 revises this bill and present law so that a person will commit the Class E felony offense of aggravated cruelty to animals when, with no justifiable purpose, the person intentionally or knowingly: (1) Kills, maims, tortures, crushes, burns, drowns, suffocates, mutilates, starves, or otherwise causes serious physical injury, a substantial risk of death, or death to a companion animal; or (2) Fails to provide food or water to the companion animal resulting in a substantial risk of death or death.