1. (1) customary and normal veterinary and agricultural husbandry practices including dehorning, castration, tail docking, and limit feeding;
2. (2) research conducted in accordance with protocols approved by an animal care and use committee, as required under the federal Animal Welfare Act¹ or the federal Health Research Extension Act;²

3. (3) an activity that may cause unavoidable physical pain to an animal if the person performing the activity uses the most humane method reasonably available, including:

   1. (i) food processing;
   2. (ii) pest elimination;
   3. (iii) animal training; and
   4. (iv) any hunting or fishing activity completed in accordance with Title 4 or Title 10 of the Natural Resources Article or any regulations adopted under those titles; or
4. (4) normal human activities in which the infliction of pain to an animal is purely incidental and unavoidable.

Sections 10-601 through 10-608 and 10-626 of this subtitle do not apply to:

Added by Acts 2002, c. 26, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2002. Amended by Acts 2021, c. 178, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 179, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2025, c. 156, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025; Acts 2025, c. 157, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.

Formerly Art. 27, § 59.

Pub.L. 89-544, Aug. 24, 1966, 80 Stat. 350, codified at 7 U.S.C.A. § 2131 et seq.

Pub.L. 99-158, Nov. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 820, codified at 42 U.S.C.A. § 281 et seq.