Responsible Animal Owners of Maine
You could lose your pet
LD 2171 is now law. So beware when you take your favorite pet on a road trip. Read it here (PDF).
Note: One representative worked hard to make sure leaving your pet in a vehicle would not be a crime. Yet it was written in as a crime further down in the bill after the work sessions. Who did this?
While this seems like a good law please take note that
Sec. 47. 17 MRSA §1031, sub-§1, ¶K is enacted to read:
K. Confines an animal in a building, enclosure, CAR, boat, vehicle or vessel of any kind when extreme heat or extreme cold will be harmful to its health. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime.Think about this....Does your dog bark or pant and jump around inside the car when you leave them or when a stranger walks by? Does your pet just get down on the floor and lay quiet? All these actions could be interpreted by an ACO,humane agent or police officer as an animal in distress and used as an excuse to remove your pet.
