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Make Animal Abusers Pay For The Animals They Hurt

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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Animals seized from cruelty should not suffer in shelters while taxpayers and rescuers pay the abuser’s bills.

Close-up of a cat with one cloudy, damaged eye and one bright yellow eye.

When animals are seized from alleged cruelty, neglect, hoarding, puppy mill, or fighting cases, rescue is only the first step. In many states, those animals may still legally belong to the person accused of harming them until a court resolves the case.1

That can leave dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and other animals stuck in shelters for months or even years. They need food, housing, veterinary care, behavior support, and daily attention while the case moves forward.2

Shelters And Taxpayers Should Not Pay The Abuser’s Bill

Without strong cost-of-care laws, local shelters, rescues, animal control agencies, and taxpayers often bear the cost. Large cruelty cases can involve dozens or hundreds of animals, and the bills can quickly overwhelm already strained animal welfare systems.2

In Kentucky, more than 40 horses were seized in one cruelty investigation, and a separate alleged puppy mill case left 42 dogs in county care for 18 months, with expenses reported at more than $100,000.3

Strong Laws Protect Animals And Due Process

Cost-of-care laws create a court process after animals are seized. A judge can require the owner or custodian to pay reasonable care costs or relinquish the animals so they can be placed in new homes. These laws can also give defendants notice, a hearing, and the right to challenge the evidence and requested costs.1

Maryland’s law shows how this process can work: courts review whether a seizure was warranted, whether continued possession is warranted, and who must pay reasonable care costs. The law also allows forfeiture if ordered payments are not made.4

State Lawmakers Must Act

Animal cruelty enforcement depends on resources. When shelters cannot afford long-term care, animals may stay in unsafe conditions because there is nowhere for them to go. Strong cost-of-care laws help remove that barrier and protect animals already hurt by abuse.2

Sign the petition to demand state lawmakers pass cost-of-care laws so animal abusers pay for the animals they hurt.

More on this issue:

  1. ASPCA, ASPCA (n.d.), “Cost of Care Legislation.”
  2. Brianna Grant, HumanePro by Humane World for Animals (n.d.), “Why we need cost of care laws.”
  3. Bill Estep, Lexington Herald Leader (21 July 2022), “Bills would make owners of animals seized in KY cruelty cases pay for their care.”
  4. Maryland General Assembly (21 April 2022), “2022 Regular Session House Bill 1062 Chapter.”
  5. Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Legal Defense Fund (27 January 2026), “State Animal Protection Laws Ranked Oregon is 1 North Dakota 50.”

The Petition

Dear State Legislative Leaders,

I urge you to pass strong cost-of-care laws that require people whose animals are lawfully seized in cruelty or neglect cases to pay reasonable costs for those animals’ care, or relinquish them so they can be placed on a path toward adoption.

When animals are removed from cruelty, rescue should mean safety. Too often, it means months or years in legal limbo. Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals may remain the legal property of the person accused of harming or neglecting them while a criminal case proceeds. During that time, shelters and rescues must provide food, housing, veterinary treatment, medication, behavior support, and daily care.

Those costs should not fall on taxpayers, local governments, animal control agencies, or nonprofit shelters already stretched thin. In large-scale cruelty cases, dozens or hundreds of animals may need care at once. A single case can drain budgets, crowd shelters, delay services for other animals, and deter future enforcement because local agencies know they may not have the resources to act.

Strong cost-of-care laws offer a fair and humane solution. They allow a court to hold a prompt hearing after a lawful seizure. The agency or prosecutor must present evidence that the seizure was warranted and that the requested care costs are reasonable. The owner or custodian has the opportunity to respond. If the court finds the legal standard has been met, the owner must either pay for the animals’ ongoing care or relinquish custody.

This is not punishment before conviction. It is a way to make sure animals receive care while legal rights are respected. It also prevents cruelty victims from being held indefinitely as property while their health, behavior, and chances for adoption decline.

Animal cruelty laws mean little if communities cannot afford to enforce them. State lawmakers have the power to protect animals, support shelters, respect due process, and place responsibility where it belongs.

Please pass strong cost-of-care legislation so animals seized from cruelty receive prompt care, shelters are not forced to carry the financial burden alone, and abusers are not allowed to leave communities with the bill.

These actions will ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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