LD 1194
pg. 3
Page 2 of 4 An Act To Improve Services of Animal Shelters Page 4 of 4
Download Bill Text
LR 740
Item 1

 
1. Notice.__An animal shelter that accepts a pet under this
section shall within 24 hours of receiving the pet send a
notice by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the
owner of the pet. The notice must inform the owner of the
provisions of this section.

 
2. Release of pet. Upon payment of costs incurred for food,
shelter and veterinary care, an animal shelter shall release a
pet accepted under this section to its owner or to a person
who is designated in a letter signed by the owner as acting on
the owner's behalf.

 
3.__Transfer of ownership; disposition of pet.__If an owner
fails to arrange for release of a pet in accordance with
subsection 2 within 10 days of the pet's acceptance by the
shelter, ownership of the pet is vested with the animal
shelter upon expiration of the 10-day period and the animal
shelter may:

 
A.__Offer the pet for adoption or sell or give away the
pet; or

 
B.__Dispose of the pet humanely in accordance with Title
17, chapter 42, subchapter 4.

 
An animal shelter may not sell or give a pet to a research
facility.

 
4. Claims. When an owner does not arrange for the release
of a pet under subsection 2, the animal shelter is entitled to
receive from the department $4 a day for food and shelter for
the pet for a maximum of 10 days.

 
5.__Immunity.__A veterinarian, a humane agent, an animal
control officer or an animal shelter, including a person
employed by an animal shelter, is not civilly liable to the
owner of a pet for the loss of that pet resulting from actions
taken in compliance with this section.

 
A person who brings a pet to an animal shelter in accordance
with this section is not civilly liable to the owner of a pet
for the loss of that pet resulting from actions taken in
compliance with this section.

 
Nothing in this subsection grants to an animal shelter or
person any immunity from liability arising from the gift, sale
or other transference of a pet to a research facility in
violation of subsection 3.

 
§3919-C.__Animal held pending court decision


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