Ban Pound Seizure

Pound seizure is the sale or release of cats and dogs from a pound or shelter to a research, testing or educational facility.

In the state of Oklahoma it is required by law that publicly funded shelters and pounds provide dogs and/or cats to institutions for experimental or educational purposes, and other states allow it.This means the animals that are at city pounds across the state.

The law reads

OKLAHOMA
State law requires release of animals, unless prohibited by municipality:
TITLE 4. ANIMALS
CHAPTER 13. USE OF UNCLAIMED ANIMALS FOR SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION AND EDUCATION
4 Okl. St. § 394 (2002)
§ 394. Delivery of animals on demand--Municipal ordinances relating to impoundment and scientific research
A. Except as otherwise provided by municipal ordinance, it shall be the duty of the pound supervisor to deliver from among the available impounded animals on the demand of an institution possessing a license, such number of animals as the institution may demand and be reasonably required effectively to carry on its activities, subject to the following conditions:

1. Such animals shall have been impounded at least fifteen (15) days for dogs without a license, and at least thirty (30) days for dogs with license and remained unclaimed and unredeemed by their owners or by any other person desiring the animal as a pet and willing to pay applicable license fees and the reasonable expenses incurred in the dog's detention; and

2. Any owner of an animal who voluntarily delivers the possession of it to a public pound shall have a right to specify that it shall not be used for scientific research, and if an owner so specifies, it shall be the duty of the pound superintendent to tag such animal properly and to make certain that such animal is not delivered to an institution for scientific purposes; and

3. If a demand is made on a pound supervisor for a greater number of dogs than he has available for release to the institution, the supervisor shall withhold thereafter from execution all unclaimed and unredeemed dogs until the demand has been met; and

4. Any animal in the pound to which an identification tag is attached may not be disposed of until the owner has been notified.

B. Any city may adopt an ordinance setting the number of days an animal must be impounded and setting restrictions or prohibitions on the delivery of animals for scientific research.
TITLE 4. ANIMALS
CHAPTER 15. DISPOSAL OF ANIMALS HELD IN SHELTER
4 Okl. St. § 501 (2002)
§ 501. Disposal of animals kept for pleasure--Method
A. Any dog, cat or any other animal which is kept for pleasure rather than utility in or about a household, held by or in the custody of a private or public animal shelter or agency and not reclaimed by the owner, may be disposed of only by:

1. Adoption as a pet in a suitable home;

2. Delivery to a licensed educational or research institution in accordance with the provisions of Sections 391 through 402 of this title;…

We need to stop this inhumane treatment in Oklahoma.