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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the development and maintainance of certain records and |
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written policies of animal shelters. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 821, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 821.058 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 821.058. WRITTEN EUTHANASIA POLICY. An animal shelter |
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that has a policy of routinely euthanizing dogs based on the breed |
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or size of the dog must develop a written statement of the shelter's |
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euthanasia policy. A dog that is euthanized according to the policy |
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developed under this section must be included in the shelter's |
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record of disposition of animals required by Section 823.010. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 823, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 823.010 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 823.010. INTAKE AND DISPOSITION RECORDS. (a) Each |
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animal shelter operated in this state shall prepare and maintain |
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records regarding the intake and disposition of animals in the |
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shelter, including: |
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(1) the total number of animals, categorized by |
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species, as dog, cat, or other, taken in by the animal shelter and |
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the reason an animal was taken in, including whether the animal was: |
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(A) surrendered by the animal's owner; |
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(B) identified as a stray; |
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(C) impounded; |
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(D) confiscated; |
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(E) transferred to the shelter from a location in |
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this state; |
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(F) transferred to the shelter from a location |
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outside this state; or |
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(G) born in the shelter; |
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(2) the number of animals at the animal shelter on the |
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last day of each month; and |
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(3) the disposition of each animal taken in by the |
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animal shelter, categorized by species, including whether the |
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animal: |
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(A) was adopted; |
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(B) was reclaimed by the animal's owner; |
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(C) died in the shelter; |
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(D) was transferred to another shelter; |
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(E) was euthanized by the shelter on a decision |
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made by the shelter; |
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(F) was euthanized at the owner's request; |
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(G) was released into its natural habitat; or |
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(H) was lost while in the shelter's care. |
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(b) An animal shelter shall monthly prepare the records |
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required by Subsection (a). |
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(c) An animal shelter shall maintain records prepared under |
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Subsection (a) until at least the third anniversary of the date the |
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record was prepared. |
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(d) An animal shelter shall make the records required by |
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this section available to the public. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an animal taken in or disposed of by an animal shelter or counted in |
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the shelter's animal total on or after the effective date of this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |