HB 46 -- IMPOUNDMENT OF ANIMALS

SPONSOR:  Viebrock

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Conservation and Natural Resources by a vote of 10 to 0.

Currently, any neglected or abused animal may be impounded.  This
bill prohibits a farm animal weighing more than 50 pounds from
being impounded until the district state veterinarian of the
Department of Agriculture has examined the animal and determined
the animal to be in imminent danger of loss of life or has
determined that the condition or conditions deemed to be in
violation cannot reasonably be rectified before the disposition
hearing.  If before the disposition hearing, reasonable attempts
to correct the condition have not been made and approved by the
veterinarian during a required follow-up visit, the animal may be
impounded or destroyed.

If an abused or neglected farm animal in the possession of a
caregiver is impounded, the authority having custody of the
animal is required to make a diligent effort to notify the owner
in writing that the animal has been impounded.

FISCAL NOTE:   Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $87,022
in FY 2008, $82,706 in FY 2009, and $85,187 in FY 2010.  No
impact on Other State Funds in FY 2008, FY 2009, and FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that caring for an animal that has
been seized from its owner can be very expensive, and often the
animal is determined to be safe and the abuse case is not
pursued.  The bill changes the laws to permit the owner to
continue to care for the animal while the state veterinarian
examines the animal and investigates the case.  Owners should
have an opportunity to rectify the situation before their animals
are taken from them.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Viebrock; Missouri
Farm Bureau; and Missouri Federation of Animal Owners.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that they are concerned
about the exacerbation and suffering by animals that need better
care.  A one-day delay by the state veterinarian in checking on
the animals could mean life or death for the animals.

Testifying against the bill were Missouri Alliance for Animal
Legislation; and Humane Society of Missouri.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that there are
currently only four state district veterinarians and four federal
veterinarians in the state who are able to examine the animals.
Due to a statewide veterinarian workforce shortage, they feel
that it is critically important to have an unbiased expert to
evaluate the animals.

Testifying on the bill was Department of Agriculture.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:17 am