Bill Text: NJ A3921 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes veterinarians to transfer ownership of animals rather than euthanizing them, under certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee [A3921 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3921-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Ocean)
Assemblyman GREGORY E. MYHRE
District 9 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes veterinarians to transfer ownership of animals rather than euthanizing them, under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the euthanasia of animals, and amending and supplementing P.L.1979, c.354.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New section) a. Whenever the owner of an animal or an agent thereof brings an animal to a veterinarian for the purpose of euthanasia, the veterinarian may instead elect to provide for the placement of the animal in a suitable home or animal shelter. The transfer of custody of the animal to the veterinarian for the purposes of euthanasia, and the subsequent placement of the animal in a suitable home or animal shelter, shall constitute a permanent transfer of ownership of the animal, and the owner of the animal shall thereby forfeit all rights and privileges over the animal.
b. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only if:
(1) the animal is physically healthy and the request for euthanasia is being made for behavioral reasons;
(2) the veterinarian determines that the behavior of the animal does not pose a permanent threat to the public safety and that the animal can be rehabilitated; and
(3) the veterinarian informs the animal's owner or the agent thereof prior to the placement of the animal in a suitable home or shelter that the animal is capable of being rehabilitated.
(cf: P.L.1979, c.354, s.3)
2. Section 5 of P.L.1979, c.354 (C.45:16-17) is amended to read as follows:
5. Notification and humane disposal as provided in section 3 of [this act] P.L.1979, c.354 (C.45:16-15), or transfer of an animal to a suitable home or animal shelter pursuant to of section 1 of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), shall relieve the veterinarian or boarding kennel of any further liability regarding the [unretrieved] animal.
(cf: P.L.1979, c.354, s.5)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would supplement and amend the "New Jersey Unretrieved Animal Act," P.L.1979 c.354 (C.45:16-13 et seq.) to authorize veterinarians, when an animal is brought to a veterinarian in order to be euthanized, to instead transfer the animal to a suitable home or animal shelter, under certain circumstances.
Specifically, the authorization would only apply if:
(1) the animal is physically healthy and the request for euthanasia is being made for behavioral reasons;
(2) the veterinarian determines that the behavior of the animal does not pose a permanent threat to the public safety and that the animal can be rehabilitated; and
(3) the veterinarian informs the animal's owner prior to its placement in a suitable home or shelter that the animal is capable of being rehabilitated.
The bill would specify that the owner's transfer of control of the animal for the purposes of euthanasia and the veterinarian's subsequent placement of the animal in a suitable home or animal shelter constitutes a permanent transfer of ownership of the animal. The bill would also relieve veterinarians of any further liability regarding an animal placed in a suitable home or animal shelter in conformance with the bill's provisions.
