What is “Pound Seizure?”
This is when laboratories buy animals from animal shelters to test on them. They either buy or the shelter sells directly, or this is done through a Class B dealer. A Class B dealer is someone who is licensed by the USDA to obtain animals to sell for experimentation. Class B dealers are allowed to collect “randomly sourced” animals, and there is little to no reporting or regulations, so not only do the collect animals at shelters, but they have also been caught stealing animals to sell for research in order to make a personal profit.
Many of these animals were beloved family members who got lost and for some reason were never found. Now they have come from a place of love, to a shelter, to a laboratory being tested on, to most likely killed.
Some jurisdictions have banned “pound seizure” but many still allow it. In fact, it is still legal in 33 states. The following is the most recent data (2019) on where and how pound seizure is allowed:
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming
States that mandate that licensed researchers can take animals:
Minnesota (five day holding period)
Oklahoma (15 days without license, 30 with license)
Note that other countries like Mexico and others also participate in the cruel practice of “pound seizure.”
How can we END “Pound Seizure?”
Please donate so that we can introduce legislation in the jurisdictions that allow and mandate it so it can be banned for good!