Bill > SB263

This bill establishes new criminal penalties and procedures for animal abandonment in Alabama, defining "abandon" as intentionally or negligently leaving an animal without care, risking its harm or death, and defining "animal" as any live, non-human vertebrate. Violating this law is a Class A misdemeanor, but it escalates to a Class D felony if the person has prior convictions for animal abandonment or related offenses, if the abandonment results in serious injury or death to the animal, or if five or more animals are abandoned at once. Law enforcement or local government agents can seize abandoned animals or order owners to provide care, and these officials are protected from liability when acting in good faith. If the owner is known, a court hearing must be held within 20 days to determine if the owner can adequately care for the animal and is fit to have custody. If the owner is found unable, unwilling, or unfit, the court can order the animal to be euthanized or transferred to a shelter, require the owner to pay for the animal's care and euthanasia costs, or mandate community service or education related to animal care. In severe cases, the court can also prohibit the owner from possessing any other animal for up to five years. These provisions do not apply to lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, generally accepted agricultural practices, veterinary medicine, pest control, or compliant research.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

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