PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 1 and 2 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3907, sub-§5-A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 510, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
5-A.  Animal shelter.     "Animal shelter" means a:
 
A.  Facility that houses domesticated animals and operates for the purpose of providing stray, abandoned, abused or owner-surrendered animals with sanctuary or finding the animals temporary or permanent adoptive homes; or
 
B.  Rescue group.
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3907, sub-§23-A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 439, §5, is amended to read:
 
23-A. Rescue group.   "Rescue group" means an organization or individual that receives domesticated animals that have been abandoned, surrendered or removed from an animal facility or that takes in homeless dogs or cats and sells, gives or otherwise places the animals in private homes. "Rescue group" does not include a facility licensed under chapter 723.’
 
SUMMARY
This committee amendment, which is the unanimous report of the committee, amends the definition of "animal shelter" to include rescue groups. The word "domesticated" is included in the definitions of "animal shelter" and "rescue group" to ensure that wild animal rescues under the jurisdiction of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife do not fall under these definitions.