The Overview

If you own an animal that California authorities seize, you’ll have to pay for its care or risk losing it for good, no matter which law officers used to take it. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 2344 on Sunday, Sept. 27. Its backers say the law will move animals from abuse cases out of crowded shelters and into new homes sooner. ​

Animals seized in cruelty cases can sit in shelters for months or even years while the criminal cases play out. In Los Angeles County, sheltering a dog or cat costs $105.80 a day, and seized animals stay an average of about 94 days, or roughly $10,000 each, according to a state Senate analysis citing county figures. When a defendant skips court, the average stay grows to about 281 days, or roughly $30,000.

What the Law Does

California law already made owners pay for the care of animals seized to protect them from harm. An owner who didn’t pay within 14 days of notice could be found to have abandoned the animal. Those rules covered only seizures under one section of the state’s animal cruelty law.

The new law applies the same rules to animals seized under any other California law or under a search warrant, which investigators often use in cruelty cases. Owners are personally responsible for the costs of seizure and care, and the law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Legislative Status

Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) wrote the bill with five coauthors from both parties. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and Social Compassion in Legislation, an animal advocacy group, sponsored it.

The Assembly passed the bill 78-0 on May 26, the Senate passed it 40-0 on Aug. 28, and the Assembly agreed to the Senate’s changes 79-0 on Aug. 31, according to the FastDemocracy vote record. “Animals are completely dependent on us for care and protection,” Haney said after the final vote, Contra Costa News reported. Earlier versions would also have let shelters ask a court to take animals early when a defendant missed court, but the final law changes only the cost-of-care rule. No opposition was on file.

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