HB115 Summary

• Amends Alabama Code Section 3-1-29 to establish procedures for seizing dogs involved in dogfighting charges and expediting their disposition.

• Requires courts to order dog owners to post bonds or deposit funds in 30-day increments to cover reasonable costs of seizure, care, keeping, and disposal of confiscated dogs.

• Dogs are forfeited by operation of law if owners fail to post required bonds within 72 hours of a hearing or fail to post renewal bonds before expiration dates.

• Allows owners to surrender dogs without presumption of guilt, and permits indigent owners to be relieved of bond requirements and forfeiture provisions.

• Authorizes the state or holding entity to file civil forfeiture petitions with hearings scheduled within 20 days, with dogs returned to owners if the state fails to meet its burden of proof.