Anyone who abuses, teases, or otherwise interferes with a police horse in Kansas City, Mo., could face criminal charges and penalties including fines of up to $500 and 180 days in jail, according to a new ordinance that went into effect in that city last month. The law also protects dogs used in the police department's canine unit.

Kansas City Police Department Public Information Officer Darin Snapp said mounted patrol and canine officers worked with other city officials to craft the measure to protect the animals from assault during patrols and other activities, such as crowd control situations.

"We've had people who have slapped police horses on the hindquarters or in the face, but those situations do not reach the level of animal cruelty, so we had nothing that we could charge them with," Snapp said. "Now we do."

Individuals who tamper with mounted patrol unit horse trailers or canine patrol vehicles or the animals inside also face the same charges, Snapp said