| | | The seizure and disposition of an animal whose owner is | | charged with a violation of chapter 739 or Title 17, chapter | | 42 must be in accordance with Title 17, section 1021. |
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| | | Sec. 5. 17 MRSA §1031-A is enacted to read: |
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| | | §1031-A.__Possession of animal in violation of court order |
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| | | A person is guilty of illegal possession of an animal if | | that person owns, possesses or has on that person's property | | an animal in violation of a court order issued under section | | 1031, subsection 3, paragraph D or E.__Illegal possession of | | an animal in violation of a court order is a Class E crime. | | Violation of this section is a strict liability crime as | | defined in Title 17-A, section 34, subsection 4-A. |
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| | | This bill establishes a process for animal shelters to | | accept and dispose of pets whose owners are incarcerated or | | hospitalized. It reduces from 8 to 6 the number of days a | | shelter must hold a dog prior to euthanasia. This bill also | | makes it a Class E crime to possess an animal in violation of | | a court order prohibiting a person from possessing an animal | | as part of the penalty imposed for a cruelty to animals | | conviction. |
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