On Wednesday, March 10 at 12:00pm, The Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will be holding a hearing on Senate Bill 760 that addresses the issue of animals that are seized and the costs of their care during impoundment. This is identical to House Bill 1080, which was considered earlier this week. Click here.
AKC strongly believes that those who treat animals in a cruel manner should be held accountable and punished accordingly. Current Maryland law clearly defines cruelty and appropriate penalties. However, Senate Bill 760 ignores the basic right of innocent until proven guilty and could cause an owner to permanently lose their animals even if charges are dropped or they are found not guilty.
What you can do:
Those who reside or participate in dog events in Maryland are encouraged to contact bill sponsor, Senator Justin Ready and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee before the March 10 hearing and ask them to oppose House Bill 1080.
While we agree that those convicted of animal cruelty should be held accountable, including paying for the costs of caring for the animals they mistreated. Those who are not guilty should not worry about the loss of their animals for failing to file a timely petition or timely meeting the costs of care requirements placed upon them while awaiting final adjudication of their case. For more information and talking points on this issue, view AKC’s previous alert.
Click here to contact Senator Justin Ready.
Click here for Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee member contact information.
AKC Government Relations and Responsible Dog Owners–Maryland will continue to closely monitor this bill and communicate with the General Assembly. For more information, contact doglaw@akc.org.