All dogs deserve a life in a safe, humane environment.  Those who mistreat dogs should be held accountable under the law. 

Increasingly, AKC Government Relations is seeing legislation that seeks to address this issue by allowing animals to be seized on suspicion of cruelty and then requiring the owner to post a bond or make payments to reimburse the animal shelter for the costs of care during an ongoing trial.  

AKC agrees that those who are found guilty of mistreating their animals should be prosecuted and required to pay the cost of caring for their animals while their case is pending. However, the majority of these new “cost of care” bills also include a provision that if an owner misses even one payment, the animals are permanently relinquished.  Under this provision, an owner may never get their pets back, even if they are ultimately found not guilty.  

To communicate the many concerns with this type of legislation, AKC Government Relations is pleased to release a brief, animated video entitled Protecting Due Process Rights for Dog Owners.  This is the latest in our AKC Responsible Policy Video series, designed to help you advocate on key canine legislative issues. 

We encourage you to share this brief video with lawmakers who may be considering laws regarding how to handle the costs of care during cruelty trials.  Please also share this on your websites, social media, and other communications to help spread the word about this issue.  

For further information on other key legislative issues, visit the AKC Legislative Action Center at www.akcgr.org.