ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A Republican senator in Maryland who wants owners to pay for the care of animals seized in cruelty cases says his bill needs more work before it can pass.
The Carroll County Times reports Sen. Justin Ready of Carroll County presented his bill in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
The Maryland and Delaware Director of the Humane Society of the United States supports the bill. Director Emily Hovermale says it ensures that owners cover the cost of caring for seized animals when those owners want to keep their animals. Otherwise, county agencies and taxpayers foot the bill.
Committee members raised concerns about violating an individual's due process and the fact that the bill outlines a bond mechanism for accused abusers to pay for the care of their animals.
