Photo by antomoro/WikimediaThe House Committee on Agriculture Thursday moved a bill to the full House for debate that regulates how abandoned animals become wards of the state after declared emergencies.
House Bill 251 by Chairman Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, requires an animal be declared abandoned after a declared emergency, such as a hurricane, if the animal is receiving temporary shelter services by a state entity and the owner does not claim the animal within 30 days of the emergency.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, in conjunction with local organizations, is responsible for abandoned and rescued animals, from house pets to livestock.
Commissioner Mike Strain said the department can be responsible for 2,500 to 3,000 animals at one time at various entities.
Unlike regional animal shelters, the state does not have a legally classified time period to deem abandoned animals when it holds them. The original bill required 90 days.
Strain said the national standard is 30 days and is “adequate. Ninety days could be too long.”