ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
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
Except for cities that
impose a license fee and vaccination ordinance and counties that regulate the
running at large of dogs, 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. Expands the definition of "animal shelter" to include incorporated animal welfare groups that lack a facility for housing animals.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
5. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Expands the definition of "animal shelter" to include incorporated animal welfare groups that lack a facility for housing animals.
2. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
NRAE 1/31/02 DPA 6-0-2-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
January 31, 2002