---
title: O.C.G.A. § 4-11-17. Filing a report regarding animal cruelty; immunity.
collection: code
id: 4-11-17
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 4-11-17 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-11-17
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-11-17.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/4-11-17/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t4-6-(v4)-2013-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=8c0a1199_0#page=144
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: ANIMALS / ANIMAL PROTECTION / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 4-11-17. Filing a report regarding animal cruelty; immunity.

(a) Notwithstanding Code Section 24-12-31 or any other provision of law to the contrary, any licensed veterinarian or veterinary technician having reasonable cause to believe that an animal has been subjected to animal cruelty in violation of Code Section 16-12-4 or an act prohibited under Code Section 16-12-37 may make or cause to be made a report of such violation to the Commissioner, his or her designee, an animal control officer, a law enforcement agency, or a prosecuting attorney and may appear and testify in any judicial or administrative proceeding concerning the care of an animal.

(b) Any person participating in the making of a report pursuant to this Code section or participating in any administrative or judicial proceeding pursuant to this article or Title 16 shall, in so doing, be immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed, provided such participation pursuant to this Code section or any other law is made in good faith.

## History

Code 1981, § 4-11-17, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 754, § 10; Ga. L. 2008, p. 114, § 2-4/HB 301; Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 3/HB 24.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2000, p. 754, § 1, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: ‘‘This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Animal Protection Act of 2000.’’’

Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 101/HB 24, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that this Act shall apply to any motion made or hearing or trial commenced on or after January 1, 2013.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Evidence,’’ see 27 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 1 (2011). For article on the 2011 amendment of this Code section, see 28 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 1 (2011).

## Other Notes

The 2011 amendment, effective January 1, 2013, substituted ‘‘Code Section 24-12-31’’ for ‘‘Code Section 24-9-29’’ near the beginning of subsection (a). See editor’s note for applicability.