Weird Law of the Day: California Penal Code 597h - Animals Attached to Power Propelled Devices

Here's an interesting California law I stumbled across recently.  Penal Code section 597h states:

a) It shall be unlawful for any person to tie or attach or fasten any live animal to any machine or device propelled by any power for the purpose of causing that animal to be pursued by a dog or dogs.

(b) Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that imprisonment and fine.

It looks like those seeking to avoid jail time are in for a rough time, as the absence of the "not more than" or "not exceeding" phrases from the fine provision means that those paying this statute's fine will need to pay the full $2,500.00.