| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the appeals process in the disposition of cruelly |
|
|
treated animals. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 821.025(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) An owner of an animal ordered sold at public auction as |
|
|
provided in this subchapter may appeal the order to a county court |
|
|
or county court at law in the county in which the justice or |
|
|
municipal court is located. As a condition of perfecting an appeal, |
|
|
the owner must file an appeal bond in an amount determined by the |
|
|
court from which the appeal is taken [justice or municipal court] to |
|
|
be adequate to cover the estimated expenses incurred in housing and |
|
|
caring for the impounded animal during the appeal process. [The
|
|
|
decision of the county court or county court at law may not be
|
|
|
further appealed. An owner may not appeal an order:
|
|
|
[(1)
to give the animal to a nonprofit animal shelter,
|
|
|
pound, or society for the protection of animals; or
|
|
|
[(2) to humanely destroy the animal.] |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to an appeal of a court order made on or after the effective date of |
|
|
this Act. An appeal of a court order made before the effective date |
|
|
of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the appeal was made, |
|
|
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |