The "crimes against chastity, morality, decency and good order" regarding animals are delineated under section 77 of Chapter 272 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The section describes the various acts that are deemed to constitute various forms of cruelty to animals and the prescribed punishments for such crimes. If you witness an act of cruelty to any animal, report it immediately to your local police department or to the MSPCA at 800.628.5808.

Whoever overdrives, overloads, drives when overloaded, overworks, tortures, tomrments, deprives of necessary sustenance, cruelly beats, mutilates or kills an animal, or causes or procures an animal to be overdriven, overloaded, driven when overloaded, overworked, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, cruelly beaten, mutilated or killed; and whoever uses in a cruel or inhumane manner in a race, game or contest, or in training therefor, as lure or bait a live animal, except an animal if used as lure or bait in fishing; and whoever, having the charge or custody of an animal, either as owner or otherwise, inflicts unnecessary cruelty upon it, or unnecessarily fails to provide it with proper food, drink, shelter, sanitary environment, or protection from the weather, and whoever, as owner, possessor, or person having the charge or custody of an animal, cruelly drives or works it when unfit for labor, or willfully abandons it, or carries it or causes it to be carried in or upon a vehicle, or otherwise, in an unnecessarily cruel or inhumane manner which might endager the animal carried theron, or knowingly and willfully authorizes or permits it to be subjected to unnecessary torture, suffering or cruelty of any kind shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.