Sec 13-4281. Animal seizure; notification; forfeiture; bond; hearing; exceptions

A. A peace officer, county enforcement agent or animal control officer who lawfully seizes an animal pursuant to section 13-2910 shall affix a notice of seizure in a conspicuous place where the animal was found or personally deliver the notice of seizure to the owner or keeper of the animal, if known or ascertainable after reasonable investigation. The officer or agent shall file proof of service with the court. If it is determined that the suffering of the animal does not require humane destruction, the notice shall include the following:

1. The name, business address and telephone number of the person providing the notice.

2. A description of the seized animal.

3. The authority and purpose for the seizure, including the time, place and circumstance under which the animal was seized.

4. A statement that in order to receive a postseizure hearing the owner or person authorized to keep the animal, or the owner or person's agent, shall request the hearing by signing and returning to the court an enclosed declaration of ownership or right to keep the animal within ten days, including weekends and holidays, after the date of the notice.

5. A statement that the owner is responsible for the cost of care for an animal that was properly seized and that the owner is required to post a bond in the amount of twenty-five dollars per animal with the court to defray the cost of care.

6. A warning that if the owner fails to post a bond within ten days after the seizure, the animal will be deemed abandoned and become the property of the seizing agency.

B. On receipt of a declaration of ownership and postseizure hearing request, the justice of the peace or city magistrate shall set a hearing date within fifteen business days. At the hearing, the seizing agency shall have the burden of establishing by a preponderance of evidence that the animal was subjected to cruel mistreatment, cruel neglect or abandonment in violation of section 13-2910 or will suffer needlessly if humane destruction is delayed. On this finding, the court may terminate the owner's rights in the animal and transfer the rights to the seizing agency or a designated animal care agency and shall forfeit the bond to pay the expenses incurred for the housing, care and treatment of the animal. If at the conclusion of the hearing the animal is not forfeited under this section, the court shall order the bond exonerated and returned to the owner.

C. If the owner or person authorized to keep the animal fails to post bond as prescribed by subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section, fails to request a hearing or fails to attend a scheduled hearing, the animal is deemed abandoned and all rights of the owner in the animal are transferred to the seizing agency.

D. This section does not apply to any of the following:

1. Activities permitted by or pursuant to title 3.

2. The seizure of an equine pursuant to section 3-1721.

3. A city, town or county that adopts or has adopted an ordinance or resolution providing for bonding and forfeiture of an animal that has suffered cruel mistreatment or cruel neglect if the ordinance or resolution imposes requirements that are equal or more stringent than this section.