ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
animal sterilization
Prohibits animal shelters
and pounds from releasing an unsterilized animal for adoption unless there is
no veterinary facility within a 20-mile radius or a medical contradiction to
surgery exists.
Background
Current statute stipulates
that before a pound or shelter adopts out an animal, they must either sterilize
the animal or acquire a deposit and an agreement from the adopting party that
states that the animal will be sterilized within 30 days. If the adopting party complies with the
agreement, the deposit is refunded.
However, animal shelters report that some adopting parties fail to
sterilize the adopted animal.
S.B. 1053 prohibits the
release of unsterilized animals for adoption from a shelter or pound unless
there is no veterinary facility within a 20-mile radius or a medical
contradiction to surgery exists, and the adopting party signs an agreement and
deposits funds to sterilize the animal. There is no known fiscal impact to the
state general fund relating to the provisions of this bill.
1. Prohibits animal shelters and pounds from releasing an unsterilized animal for adoption unless there is no veterinary facility within a 20-mile radius or it is medically necessary to postpone the sterilization surgery.
2. Requires the adopting party of an unsterilized animal to deposit funds for future sterilization and sign an agreement to sterilize the animal within 30 days, or 15 days of a veterinarian’s determination that surgical sterilization can be performed safely.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 18, 2002