2. Release of pet. Upon payment of costs incurred for food, shelter and veterinary care, an animal shelter shall release a pet accepted under this section to its owner or to a person who is designated in a letter signed by the owner as acting on the owner's behalf.

3.__Transfer of ownership; disposition of pet.__If an owner fails to arrange for release of a pet in accordance with subsection 2 within 10 days of the pet's acceptance by the shelter, ownership of the pet is vested with the animal shelter upon expiration of the 10-day period and the animal shelter may:

A.__Offer the pet for adoption or sell or give away the pet; or

B.__Dispose of the pet humanely in accordance with Title 17, chapter 42, subchapter 4.

An animal shelter may not sell or give a pet to a research facility.

4. Claims. When an owner does not arrange for the release of a pet under subsection 2, the animal shelter is entitled to receive from the department $4 a day for food and shelter for the pet for a maximum of 10 days.

5.__Immunity.__A veterinarian, a humane agent, an animal control officer or an animal shelter, including a person employed by an animal shelter, is not civilly liable to the owner of a pet for the loss of that pet resulting from actions taken in compliance with this section.

A person who brings a pet to an animal shelter in accordance with this section is not civilly liable to the owner of a pet for the loss of that pet resulting from actions taken in compliance with this section.

Nothing in this subsection grants to an animal shelter or person any immunity from liability arising from the gift, sale or other transference of a pet to a research facility in violation of subsection 3.

§3919-C.__Animal held pending court decision