On Tuesday, the Arizona House Committee on Rural and Economic Development passed HB 2526, sponsored by Rep. Richard Andrade, which establishes the minimum amount of time that a dog or cat must be held at the county pound. According to Andrade, HB2526 was established on behalf of his constituents.
“When a dog is located as a stray the person searching for its owner was considered the owner and when it was surrendered to the county shelter the stray dog was euthanized because it was considered “Owner Surrender”. This was inaccurate,” explained Andrade. “My bill will allow the stray dog to be considered as an adoptable dog.”
“Disease and overcrowding are the leading cause of preventable euthanasia in impoundment shelters,” continued Andrade. “Reducing the stray hold will keep more dogs alive and well.”
Andrade notd that with a shorter stray hold, the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) estimates they will save $30 on each of the 30,000 animals they care for annually, totaling $900,000.
Cosponsors include reps. Alston, Benally, Cardenas, Espinoza, Hale, Plumlee, Saldate, Velasquez, Barton, Bolding, Brophy Mcgee, Campbell, Clark, Fernandez, Gabaldón, Gonzales, Larkin, Lawrence, McCune Davis, Mendez, Rios, Rivero, Steele, Townsend, and Ugenti-Rita.
Currently, “A.R.S. § 11-1013 regulates the impounding of dogs and cats. An impounded stray dog or cat that is not eligible for a sterilization program is required to be maintained at the county pound for a minimum of 72 hours. A stray dog or cat with a microchip or that is wearing a license or other form of owner identification must be maintained at the pound for no less than 120 hours, unless the animal is surrendered or claimed by its owner. Upon expiration of the minimum impounding period, any person may purchase a dog or cat,” according to the legislative overview.
HB 2526 provisions:
- 1. Decreases the required minimum period of time that a county pound must hold a stray dog or cat from 72 hours to 48 hours.
- 2. Requires a pound to hold a dog or cat that is healthy or sick or injured, but treatable, for 72 hours.
- 3. Stipulates that a dog surrendered by its owner must be kept at the pound for at least 72 hours.