Legislation setting up a court process to require animal owners to pay sheltering costs in cruelty cases has moved forward. Michele Lawson is the founder of Kentucky Animal Action. Lawson told members of the Senate Agriculture Committee it’s unfair for others to pay the costs for caring for animals when it should rest with the owner.
“If the owner cannot or will not pay the cost of care the owner has the option of immediately surrender the animal or animals, eliminating the potential gigantic cost of care,” said Lawson.
Lawson cited tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer funds spent in Elliot, Fayette, and Franklin Counties. She said 109 animals were seized in Elliot, 135 cats in Fayette, and 38 pit bulls in Franklin Counties.
Paris GOP Senator Stephen West cast the lone no vote. West said many animal hoarding cases appear to involve owners with scarce resources.
“Lot of times they’ve run out of money anyway and they don’t have any money to properly feed the animals, so once the county files an action and you take the animals, how many of these cases do you think you’ll be able to collect from that person the cost of care? Asked West.
Some committee members expressed concerns about the potential impact of the measure on livestock farming. Bill Sponsor Julie Raque Adams said that issue could be addressed with a floor amendment on the Senate floor.
