Complete Story
04/28/2025
House Bill 241
Lead Sponsors: Representative Cecil Thomas and Representative Meredith Lawson-Rowe
Status: Introduction (April 17, 2025)
Description: When a dog injures, seriously injures, or kills a person, the bill requires that the dog be quarantined for ten days at a location for impounding dogs provided by the board of county commissioners where the attack took place. During these ten days, the county dog warden or other applicable law enforcement agency must conduct an investigation and reach one of the following three determinations:
- It is safe for the dog to remain in the community without further training or rehabilitation;
- There is probable cause that the dog injured, seriously injured, or killed a person without provocation, and that the dog can only be released on the condition that it be trained and rehabilitated; or
- There is probable cause that the dog injured, seriously injured, or killed a person without provocation, and that the dog should be humanely euthanized.
If the first determination is made, the dog must be returned to the dog's owner. If one of the latter two determinations is made, the dog warden or law enforcement agency must petition the municipal court or county court with jurisdiction over the dog owner's residence to hold a hearing on the determination.
The court must hold the hearing within ten days and issue an order either releasing the dog, releasing the dog on the condition that it be trained and rehabilitated, or humanely euthanizing the dog.
During the court proceedings, the dog must remain in quarantine. The dog's owner bears the cost of quarantine during this period. Similarly, if the court orders the dog to be trained and rehabilitated, the dog owner is responsible for the expense of the training.
The dog owner may appeal the court's determination.
CCAO Position: The bill appears to fulfill a Legislative Platform position calling for prosecution as a "vicious dog" any dog that seriously harms or kills an individual.
