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2018 SESSION

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SB 571 Animal bite history; disclosure of information.

Introduced by: Bill R. DeSteph, Jr. | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Releasing agencies; notice of dangerous animal; penalty. Requires a custodian of a releasing agency, animal control officer, law-enforcement officer, or humane investigator, upon taking custody of any dog or cat from a person in the course of his official duties, to ask and document whether, if known, the dog or cat has bitten a person or other animal and the circumstances and date of such bite. The bill requires any representative of a releasing agency, animal control officer, law-enforcement officer, or humane investigator, upon release of a dog or cat for (i) adoption, (ii) return to a rightful owner, or (iii) transfer to another agency, to disclose, if known, that the dog or cat has bitten a person or other animal and the circumstances and date of such bite. Violation of such requirements is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Releasing agencies; notice of dangerous animal; civil penalty. Requires a representative of a releasing agency, animal control officer, law-enforcement officer, or humane investigator, upon taking custody of any companion animal from a person in the course of his official duties, to obtain a signed statement from such person indicating whether, if known, the companion animal has bitten a person or other animal and the circumstances and date of such bite. The bill requires any representative of a releasing agency, animal control officer, law-enforcement officer, or humane investigator, upon release of a companion animal for (i) adoption, (ii) return to a rightful owner, or (iii) transfer to another agency, to disclose, if known, that a companion animal has bitten a person or other animal and the circumstances and date of such bite. Willful failure to disclose such information is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000. The bill makes technical amendments with regard to use of the definition of "releasing agency."