Includes a town, acting through its dog control officers acting at the behest of a police officer to seize an animal, as an impounding organization for the purpose of authorizing such town to file a petition requesting that the person from whom an animal is seized or the owner of the animal to post a security.
Impact
The proposed bill allows towns to play a more active role in the seizure and impounding of animals, particularly in cases where local authorities are involved. By broadening the scope of who can act as an impounding organization, it places the responsibility on local governance for animal control, which could facilitate quicker response times in animal welfare issues. This measure could also reduce the backlog often seen with private organizations handling these cases and increase accountability at the local level.
Summary
A09108 is a legislative proposal that seeks to amend the agriculture and markets law to expand the definition of an impounding organization to include towns, specifically through their dog control officers acting on the direction of police officers. This change is intended to empower towns to manage and control impounding procedures for seized animals more effectively. The bill aims to streamline the process for towns to file petitions requesting security payments from individuals from whom animals are seized, ensuring there are funds available for the care of the animals pending legal proceedings.
Contention
While there may be support for A09108 based on improved animal welfare and expedited processing of animal cases, potential points of contention include concerns about the implications of local governments seizing animals. Some may argue this could lead to inconsistencies in how animals are treated across different towns or create an opportunity for abuse of authority. There could also be opposition from animal rights organizations worried about the prioritization of enforcement over welfare and care considerations.
Relates to the proper venue for an impounding organization to file a petition for a security to be paid by the owner of a seized animal currently in the care of such organization.
Provides that "wild animal" means indigenous, non-domesticated animals native to the country in which they live and "exotic animal" means a wild animal with an origin of a different continent; adds certain wild or exotic animals to the list of non-companion animals; provides certain owners of wild or exotic animals with a license process.
Provides that "wild animal" means indigenous, non-domesticated animals native to the country in which they live and "exotic animal" means a wild animal with an origin of a different continent; adds certain wild or exotic animals to the list of non-companion animals; provides certain owners of wild or exotic animals with a license process.