The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee has passed legislation, that if enacted, would criminalize any harm or killing of a police dog in the state, according to an article in West Virginia Metro News.
The proposed bill seeks to amend the West Virginia Code, making it explicitly "unlawful to harm, attempt to harm, or kill a police dog that is under the control of a law-enforcement or corrections officer who is acting in his or her official capacity,” the media outlet reported. The article also reported that the bill defines the term "police dog" as one specially trained and utilized by a law enforcement or corrections agency and outlines the corresponding penalties for violations.
