Amended in Senate May 5, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1810

Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 18, 2014

An act to amend Sections 1834.5 and 1834.6 of the Civil Code, relating to deposits.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1810, as amended, Maienschein. Deposits for keeping: abandoned animals.

Existing law requires a veterinarian, dog kennel, cat kennel, pet-grooming parlor, animal hospital, or any other animal care facility, as provided, to humanely destroy an abandoned animal, if unable to place the animal with a new owner.

This bill, instead, would authorize the euthanasia of the abandoned animal under those circumstances.

Existing law prohibits a person from using an abandoned animal for experimentation and prohibits a person from turning over an abandoned animal to a pound or animal regulation department of a public agency.

This bill, instead, would allow a person to turn an abandoned animal over to a public animal control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter, begin delete or end delete humane society shelter, begin insert or nonprofit animal rescue group, end insert provided that the shelter begin insert or group end insert has been contacted and has begin delete not refused end delete begin insert agreed end insert to take the animal.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 1834.5 of the Civil Code is amended to
read:

1834.5.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
whenever an animal is delivered to a veterinarian, dog kennel, cat
kennel, pet-grooming parlor, animal hospital, or any other animal
care facility pursuant to a written or oral agreement entered into
after the effective date of this section, and the owner of the animal
does not pick up the animal within 14 calendar days after the day
the animal was due to be picked up, the animal shall be deemed
to be abandoned. The person into whose custody the animal was
placed for care shall first try for a period of not less than 10 days
to find a new owner for the animal, and, if unable to place the
animal with a new owner, may euthanize the animal so abandoned.

(b) If an animal so abandoned was left with a veterinarian or
with a facility that has a veterinarian, and a new owner cannot be
found pursuant to this section, the veterinarian may euthanize the
animal.

(c) There shall be a notice posted in a conspicuous place, or in
conspicuous type in a written receipt given, to warn a person
depositing an animal at an animal care facility of the provisions
of this section.

SEC. 2.  

Section 1834.6 of the Civil Code is amended to read:

1834.6.  

An abandoned animal, as described in Section 1834.5,
shall not be used for scientific or any other type of experimentation.
An abandoned animal may be turned over to a public animal
control agency or shelter, society for the prevention of cruelty to
animals shelter, begin delete or end delete humane society shelter, begin insert or nonprofit animal
rescue group, end insert provided that the shelter begin insert or group end insert has been contacted
and has begin delete not refused end delete begin insert agreed end insert to take the animal.