A Call For An End to Pound Seizure Laws

Pound seizure is the sale or release of cats and dogs from a pound or shelter to a research, testing or educational facility.
Pound seizure laws typically require shelters or pounds to release animals to testing, research or educational facilities on demand.
These laws were first passed in the 1940s. Most of these laws were promoted by the National Society for Medical Research, which eventually evolved into the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR). Under these laws animals that are not claimed by an owner within a period of days must be turned over to facilities that use animals for testing, research or education. These animals who at one time lived in a home are now locked in cages and tortured in the name of medical science or education. Animals subjected to tests or experiments suffer terribly and die agonizing deaths.
Thirteen states have banned pound seizure: Connecticut, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-332a; Delaware, 3 Del. C. § 8001; Hawaii, HRS § 143-18; Maine, 17 M.R.S. §1025; Maryland, Md. Ann. Code art. 27, § 67B; Massachusetts, Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 140, § 151, 174D; New Hampshire, RSA 437:22; New Jersey, N.J. Stat. § 4:19-15.16; New York, NY CLS Agr & M § 374; Pennsylvania, 3 P.S. § 459-302; Rhode Island, R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-19-12; Vermont, 13 V.S.A. § 352; and West Virginia, W. Va. Code § 19-20-23.
New York, Maryland, and West Virginia prohibit release of cats and dogs to testing and research facilities while the other ten states ban the release of all animals to such places.
There is still no federal law, though, concerning pound seizures
Several states and Washington, D.C. continue to allow the release of animals to testing, research and educational facilities. Arizona, A.R.S. § 11-1013; California, Cal Civ Code § 1834.5-1834.7; Colorado, C.R.S. 35-42.5-101; Iowa, Code §145B.2-.6; Michigan, MCLS § 287.389 (Though Jackson County, Michigan has banned pound seizure.) Ohio, ORC Ann. 955.16; South Dakota, § 40-1-34, § 34-14-8; Tennessee, § 44-17-112, Virginia, §§ 3.1-796.96 96.1, 96.105; Wisconsin, § 174.13.
The remaining states leave the decision about whether to allow pound seizure to the counties and municipalities. And in the past selling animals to testing or research facilities has been a way for some local shelters or pounds to raise money.
There are 3 states that still have pound seizure laws: Minnesota, § 35.71, Utah § 26-26-3, and Oklahoma. 4 Okl. St. §§ 394, 501.

Please if your state is releasing animals to research labs or to “class B” dealers that sell animals to research labs, write your legislators and get your laws changed.

Pound seizure is illegal in Denmark, England, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
In the United States, there is no federal law regarding pound seizure..

http://www. animallawcoalition. com/pound-seizure/article/47

Written by Lauran Allen with The Animal Law Coalition